


Written In The Stars

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Fanfiction - Fandom, MCU Actors, Marvel Character Actors, Romance - Fandom, Sebastian Stan Fandoms, Short Story - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 18:53:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11065044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: Sebastian Stan spends a LOT of time in Georgia and is considering purchasing a home there. He meets Jennifer Stark, home decorator and part owner of the local planetarium.  Sparks fly from the moment they meet...and even though the match seems perfect, there are plenty of bumps in the road. Is their love story written in the stars?  Time will tell!





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

 

Sebastian was tired. He had been working pretty much non-stop for about 7 months. Long days and short nights for an extended length of time takes its toll on one, no matter who you are. He was spending so much time in Atlanta and the surrounding area; he was actually considering buying a small home there. Several people he knew had done the same thing, as Georgia had become the 'hot spot' for filmmakers over the past several years. He had a few days off, but opted to stay in town rather than go through the hassle of flying to New York only to turn around and fly right back. 

It was a beautiful fall day, not the typical scorcher he had grown accustomed to, so he decided to do a little bit of sightseeing in some of the small towns on the outskirts of Atlanta. As he drove down I-285 towards Peachtree, he caught sight of a sign that was partially obscured by tree limbs. It was an invitation to visit the local planetarium! Sebastian smiled broadly. He hadn't been to a planetarium since he was a kid... He had to check it out. As he jotted down the phone number and location provided, he was already beginning to feel the stress knots in his shoulders and neck loosening up and letting go. After he drove a couple of miles further, he began to wonder if he had misread the number of miles 'to go' or even worse, what if it had been let go and was now as hidden by the trees along the highway as the sign had been? Shaking his head, he decided he would keep driving. He really wanted to visit this place if at all possible.

After a couple more miles and on the verge of giving up, his determination was rewarded when he spotted the unmistakable form of a 'domed' building sitting back from the highway. He turned onto the gravel road (yes gravel) and drove up the winding path to the parking lot. Once again he was uncertain about the status of the planetarium when he noticed there were no other cars in the lot. Undeterred, he got out of the car, stretched and walked towards the entrance. He could see that there was a light on, but it looked almost like a night light, more for safety than illumination. Thinking that perhaps he had at last been undone in his quest for the stars, he caught a movement in his peripheral vision. It was a woman...maybe she was here to open up for business?

Sebastian stepped from behind the column that partially blocked anyone that approached from her direction from seeing him. The woman jumped, obviously startled by his sudden appearance; her mouth forming a perfect "O" shape before she managed to compose herself. He smiled and walked towards her saying "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you like that. Are you here to open up?"

She wore tight jeans and a very faded Captain America t-shirt, and smiled back at him not quite as delighted as he seemed to be. "Umm, actually, I was thinking of closing early."

"Oh no!" Sebastian groaned at her words. "I was really looking forward to the show. And your sign shows that you should be open for a few more hours..." he gave her an undeniably adorable puppy dog look.

"Sign?" she asked.

"Yes, back on the highway. That's how I learned you were here."

"Oh..." she nodded, remembering the sign that had been out there for years.

Sebastian looked around, noting that the grounds, while neatly kept, were not landscaped to any noticeable degree and that the painted lines defining the parking spaces were faded to the point of being barely visible. Apparently the place had fallen on hard times. While he studied the grounds, she studied him. She thought he looked familiar, like she really should know him, but her brain was refusing to fill in the blank. The man smiled at her again, tilting his head and that triggered it. 

"Oh my God!! I know you!!"

He bit his lower lip and looked at her in amusement, "You do?"

"Of course. You're Sebastian Stan...right?" she still wasn't one hundred percent sure.

He laughed, "Yes, I am. But please don't tell anybody," he winked at her, looking around the empty lot. 

"Your secret is safe with me," she whispered, conspiratorially.

Extending his hand to her he said, "Let's do this properly. I'm Sebastian Stan... and you are?"

Taking the hand he offered, (good lord! It was warm and those fingers were so long...) she said "So very pleased to meet you Sebastian. I'm Jennifer Jo Stark. And please don't ask me why I felt compelled to give you my full name...but there you have it!" She was adorable and he didn't want to let go of her, but he did so, nodding and asking her "Okay then Miss Jennifer Jo Stark, are you willing to allow me a private screening; I'll gladly pay for a full house." He waited for her to correct his assumption that she was in fact 'Miss' Stark and was unreasonably pleased when she said nothing about it.

"Oh no you won't! It's not that big of a deal to push a few buttons, and you DID make a special trip and all. Of course you may have your private screening." Jennifer led him around to the back of the planetarium where the door had been left unlocked. When he had spotted her earlier, she had been out walking the perimeter of the building, checking for those pesky wasp nests that had been cropping up with an unsettling regularity.

As they entered the building, Sebastian was overcome by memories from his youth; the excitement of leaving school, riding a bus and going on a field trip. He remembered the sights and sounds of students filing into the domed room, finding just the 'right' seat and the anticipation of the seeing the presentation to come. And always, once everyone was settled in, the lights would go down and the entire group would "oooohhh" at the sudden complete darkness. Jennifer watched as a wide smile spread across his oh-so-handsome face. She told him to sit wherever he liked and that she would be in the lobby if he needed anything.

"The lobby?" he asked with a pained expression. "No!"

Laughing she asked "No? Why no?"

"What I meant to say is, I was hoping you would join me. It just wouldn't seem right to take in such a beautiful sight alone." There it was again, that head slightly tilted, puppy dog look in his eyes.

"I'm wondering Mr. Stan, does that little move always work for you?" she questioned him playfully.

With a half smirk and guilty twinkle in his eyes he answered, "That depends on you. So far it's been a winner. And please, call me Sebastian..."

Jennifer laughed out loud and licked her finger, marking an imaginary score card in the air, "That's one for honesty! I love it!"

Sebastian could not keep the grin from his face. He really liked her. "So, will you join me, please?"

How could she refuse him? He was quite possibly the most beautiful human being she had ever laid eyes on and he was smiling at her and ... he was Sebastian Stan!! Nodding her head, she told him "Yes, of course I'll join you. Just pick a seat and I'll get the show started. I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting," he winked again.

In just a couple of minutes, she was back, asking him if he was ready. Seb nodded and watched with interest as she took the remote in her hand and raised her arm, clicking at a spot on the wall behind him. The lights began to dim and as full darkness fell over the room, music began to play softly, setting the mood as stars appeared in the 'sky' above them. Jennifer settled down next to him and in a matter of seconds, their seats began to recline slowly, offering the perfect position to view the entire scene. They sat in silence for at least 15 minutes, taking it all in; listening to the narrator and comments from several scientists that they both recognized from the Science Channel shows. They watched as the universe was set into motion...the formation of the stars and planets; the wonders of God's creation, whichever view you held, it was amazing and awe inspiring. At one point, later in the presentation, the familiar strains of Adagio in D minor from the movie "Sunshine" began playing. Sebastian made a sound of approval and Jennifer turned her head in his direction, "Beautiful, yes?"

"Yes," he agreed, only he kept looking at her long after she had turned her attention back to the sky. Jennifer made an 'ooohhh' sound at something going on above them and Sebastian looked up to see what it was... 

"Darn!" he grabbed her hand and asked, "Can you, can you run it back so I can see that? I missed it!"

Looking at him like he was an idiot, and in fact he felt a little like one, she asked "Really?" When he nodded yes, she asked again, "You're serious? How could you miss it??" 

"I... I was looking at you." Thank goodness it was dark or he would have seen her blush.

"OK... hang on!!" she jumped up and hit the remote...the sky froze and she made her way out to the lobby and into the control room. She keyed a speaker in the auditorium and said, "Sebastian." He very nearly jumped out of his seat. She pretended not to notice. "Please give me a signal when you would like for me to stop rewinding the creation of the universe, ok?" They found the spot he had missed, and she backed it up about 30 seconds further, just to be sure, then rejoined him and they watched the rest of the presentation with no further mishaps.

 

Once the building was locked up and they were out in the back lot where Jennifer's car was parked, Sebastian was offering to take her out for a late lunch when her phone rang. Looking at the screen to see who it was, Jennifer excused herself and answered the call. 

"Hey Jack. What's going on?" She listened intently as a distinctively male voice boomed out of the phones speaker. She responded to the voice and asked several questions, then closed with, "Okay. You call the company, I'll get in touch with the client and I'll be there as soon as I can. Yeah, no problem. Later my friend." Turning to Sebastian with a frown, she said, "Sebastian, I am so sorry. I would love to join you for lunch, but duty calls. I have to get to work." 

"Work? I thought, I assumed that you worked here," he said perplexed.

"Oh, no... I'm just filling in for my sister. She runs the place and has been under the weather for a few weeks...so I'm trying to help out when I can to keep it from going under while she is out. Can I have rain check?"

"Yes, absolutely!" He was not happy, but he understood that work could be demanding. "Well then, is this the number I should call to get in touch with you?" Looking at what he had written on his notepad, she said, "No... here. Here's my card. Either of those numbers should do the trick." 

"Okay, Jennifer. Thanks again for being so accommodating. I know you probably had better things to do."

"Don't be silly. I don't know anybody else who can brag about sitting under the stars with Sebastian Stan!" she smiled at him and said, "I really need to scoot. Enjoy the rest of your day and hopefully, I'll see you around." She climbed in and started her car, then waved at him and drove off down a back road that he didn't even recognize as a road.

Sebastian looked at the card she had given him and when he read it, a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Jennifer J. Stark" worked at Bell Home Design Company as an assistant designer. Chewing on his lip, his eyes twinkled and he thought that maybe, for sure, buying a home around here could work out in more ways than one.

 

 

Sebastian spent the rest of the day scouring the local paper, looking for homes for rent or sale. He even drove by a few to see if anything caught his eye. He actually found a couple that he liked, but he wasn't really sure what he needed in a home, much less the ins and outs of owning and keeping one up. He had lived in apartments most of his life so, if he decided to go through with this, it was going to be an adventure, to say the least! Later that evening, he hooked up with Anthony Mackie, who had just arrived in town to begin filming his scenes in Sebastian's upcoming, stand alone, Winter Soldier movie.

"Hey man!" Anthony greeted Sebastian as they hugged and patted each other on the back. "You are looking good! I thought you told me you were about ten minutes away from throwing the towel in the last time we spoke. Something happen?"

Sebastian grabbed a piece of the pizza that Anthony had been dining on and bit off a huge mouthful, looking at him and shaking his head no, unable to do more than grunt in response.

"No, no, no. See, that right there is a rookie move. You are going to swallow that eventually, and then you are going to tell me what I want to know."

Sebastian tried to keep an innocent look on his face while also trying not to laugh and choke on the pizza that was still too much to swallow. Anthony reached into his cooler and pulled out two bottles of beer, waiting patiently. After several more chews, Seb was able to swallow the wad of pizza and he reached for one of the beers, only to have it pulled out of his reach.

"So, are you ready to talk now?" Anthony asked him matter of factly, with a smirk on his face.

"Mackie, listen, there is really nothing to tell. I just had a good, relaxing day today. I feel better about things. That's all there is to it."

Sebastian had broken up with his long time girlfriend just over three months earlier, and he had taken it pretty hard. Something about finding the person you trust the most is screwing around on you, really does a number on your mind. Not that he didn't have an inkling that it was coming. They had been skirting on the edge of breaking up for the better part of a year. So, in a way, he was glad it was over.

"I'm not buying it Seb. You've got that 'look'. You know the one I mean? You met someone, right? Man, I ain't your mama, but I don't think you should even be thinking about jumping back on the horse, not with THAT look on your face. You hear what I'm saying? Rebound relationships almost always end badly."

"Fuck you Mackie" Sebastian said with a laugh. "I DID meet a very nice woman today. That doesn't mean anything is going to come of it, or that I've even considered that anything will. Give me a break!"

"Right...right. A very nice, beautiful, single woman, I bet." Anthony shook his head.

"Stop. Just stop." Sebastian gave his friend a sideways look. "Yes, I guess she is very pretty... I really hadn't thought about it. And she is bright and funny and I liked her. Okay? That's all of it, end of story."

"Yeah, okay. Just watch yourself man. Now, tell me, what's this I hear about you looking to make a second home in Georgia? I keep telling you, if you really want hot and muggy, make the move to New Orleans!"

Sebastian laughed and the topic of Jennifer Jo Stark was dropped. But he thought of her several times that night and wondered if Mackie be might right? He didn't want to get into a casual relationship with her. He didn't think she would be okay with that. And he didn't think he would be either.

 

The next morning he slept in late, later than he could remember doing in a very long time. He felt good. He felt relaxed. He felt hungry. And he felt like he should be doing 'something'. He ordered a big breakfast from room service, then showered and dressed in his most comfy worn out jeans and a t-shirt with a hole in it. He looked like a bit of a bum, and he didn't care. After his meal arrived, he grabbed his phone and Googled "Bell Home Design Company". They were the real deal. Everything from drafting, building, decorating, repairing, landscaping... they did it all. He clicked on the tab that read "meet our designers" and the first face he saw was Jennifer's... apparently she was darn good at what she did. The comments in the 'review' section were 100% positive and it was clear that her clients enjoyed working with her, as much as they loved the finished product.

There was another tab that read "meet our builders" and out of curiosity, Sebastian opened that page as well. The first face to pop up there was a very attractive, friendly looking guy named Jack Stiles. He remembered Jennifer's phone call from the day before had been from someone named Jack. He got an uncomfortable feeling as he read about the man and the awards he had won, the praise he got from clients and other builders and how well he worked with his designer, who of course was "J.J. Stark", as Jack referred to her.

"So," Sebastian said aloud to the empty room. "This is probably, obviously, my competition."

He finished his breakfast, checked his hair, grabbed the newspaper from the day before, which still had several homes circled that he had wanted to look at, and headed out for more house-hunting. He was not about to give up without a fight. And of course, he really did want to find a place to live... If it just so happened to need a few upgrades, that would be even better.

He climbed in his car smiling and humming. Today was going to be another good day. He could feel it in his bones. He turned on the radio, found the oldies station and cranked the volume up, wanting to share his good mood with everyone around him.

 

MUSIC CHOICE: "I Like to Rock" -- April Wine  
"Journey to the stars, rock and roll guitars.... I like to rock, some like it hot baby.   
I like it, you like it... I like to rock...I like to rock!"


	2. Chapter Two

Jack Stiles and Jennifer Stark had been together for literally as long as they could remember. Born in the same month of the same year in the same hospital, they spent the first eighteen years of their lives living across the street from each other. They attended 12 years of school together and since, in those days, students were assigned seats alphabetically by their last names, they were pretty much side by side even there. By the time they reached Junior High, all of their classmates assumed that they would eventually become a "real couple" and live happily ever after. Everybody thought that, except Jack and Jennifer. They could only think of each other as siblings and best friends, nothing more. 

Fate had worked in mysterious ways, and although they attended different colleges in different states, their chosen professions had brought them together again. Jennifer had been living in Dallas, working for a small home design firm when her mother passed away and then just months later, her older sister was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. She had moved back home then to help out with whatever she could. Jack had been there the whole time since he had graduated, and was already making a name for himself in the construction business. When they both ended up working for Bell, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world that they should end up working as a team.

Before very long, they found themselves as the company's top earners and were sought after by some of the wealthiest clients in the area. Just recently, they had been contacted by HGTV about doing a one shot special for them. That discussion was ongoing. Meanwhile, they had pretty much decided to break away from Bell Design and go out on their own... a pretty bold move in the uncertain economy, but it was something they both wanted to do. Still under contract, they were being pulled in all directions, trying to honor their current responsibilities while lining up clients of their own, without crossing any legal boundaries. They were walking a tight wire and sometimes the stress got to both of them. That's when they would spend long nights together, sitting on the porch, drinking iced tea and talking about anything, everything and nothing much at all. And that's when Jack realized that he was having feelings for J.J. that a "brother" shouldn't be having. He was fairly certain that she was not having those same feelings, so he kept quiet about it, and life moved along, full of ups and downs and sometimes, both at the same time.

 

When Jennifer told Jack about meeting Sebastian Stan and giving him the V.I.P. treatment at "the dome" as she had always called it; he didn't believe her at first.

"Okay... where is your selfie? I see hundreds of selfies that people have taken with him, all over tumblr and Instagram. Where is yours?"

"SHIT!... I didn't even think of taking one... Not even when I had my phone in my hand talking to you!!"

"Oh man... you must have been totally star struck. You are usually much smarter than that," Jack teased her.

Talking about selfies and phones prompted Jennifer to pull hers out to check her messages. She squealed when she saw there was a text from Sebastian Stan. She grinned like a schoolgirl when she read what it said:

 

Hey gorgeous!

Are you available for dinner tonight? I'm back to filming tomorrow  
and my schedule gets pretty hectic once that happens. I would really  
love to see you before then. Just tell me when and where I can pick  
you up and I'll be there. 

Sebastian

 

Jack looked at her and smirked while she gave him an "I told you so" look. Meanwhile, she could feel the butterflies come to life in her stomach at the thought of going out with Sebastian. She wasn't sure that should even accept his offer. She remembered reading in more than one article that he generally only dated actresses "... because they had a better understanding of what the life of an actor was really like..." She also remembered laughing derisively at his remarks.

Jack looked her in the eye and said, "Do it. I dare you..."

Never one to pass up a dare, she whipped up a reply:

 

Sebastian...

So nice to hear from you! Dinner would be fine, if we can  
make it casual and greasy. It has been Monday ALL DAY LONG  
and I need comfort food. Pick me up at 7:00; 405 SE Pine Drive  
in Peachtree. Look forward to seeing you then... 

Jen

 

Jack was surprised that she had actually accepted the invitation, but no one was more surprised than Jennifer.

 

Sebastian was holding his phone when it vibrated in his hand. He checked the screen and saw her name pop up. He took a deep breath before he opened her reply, and then smiled as he read it.

 

Jennifer was in the house getting ready for her dinner out with Sebastian when she heard Jack's truck pull in the drive. A frown crossed her face as she wondered what had gone wrong now. They had been having a LOT of trouble at work with an odd assortment of mishaps and incidents. They both had an idea of what was going on behind the scenes, but neither of them had said anything about it...yet. She didn't want to think about it tonight.. she was already nervous enough. What would she say to Sebastian? They had nothing in common. Well, okay, they were both earthlings who enjoyed gazing at the stars, and she had learned that they both liked oldies music from the 80's, ( maybe not the SAME oldies) but how long could you talk about THAT??

She had changed into a pair of white denim jeans and a rosy pink, snug fitting long sleeve top. She pulled her shoulder length blonde hair back with a short white scarf. She was slipping on her black "sketchers' when she heard voices coming from below.

Sebastian parked at the curb and got out slowly, taking in the surroundings. This looked like the kind of place he was hoping to find. Medium sized Victorian style house; big porch with a swing and several chairs for guests. He recognized Jennifer's white Chevy Equinox, and could only assume that the black truck that had pulled in just ahead of him belonged to the infamous 'Jack', as it was loaded with tools and wood and things he couldn't even guess. "This should be interesting" he thought as he put on a smile and approached the man. 

"Hey!! You must be Sebastian! I'm Jack Stiles. I work with J.J. I need to talk to her for five minutes.. and then I'll be out of your way."

Sebastian took the hand that Jack offered him and nodded. "No problem. Nice to meet you Jack.." Sheesh! The man was a Norse god... Jack stood 6'2', 225 lbs, with short dark blonde hair that had even blonder highlights; a strong muscular body that his open shirt framed perfectly. He had blue eyes that rivaled Sebastian's; and his open, friendly smile and easy going attitude made you like the guy immediately. 

Jennifer stepped out onto the porch and said, "Hi Sebastian," as she smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then continued, "Jack? What are you doing here?" 

Jack shook his head and said, "I know you have plans, but I really need you to take a look at this, then tell me what the hell you want me to do."

Jennifer gave him a look of dread and asked, "What happened now?" 

"Just take a look..." he took her elbow and led her to his truck, where he unlatched a box and said something to her that Sebastian could not make out. He watched the look on Jennifer's face as she studied the cabinet in the box and sighed in obvious disgust. She said something to Jack and the two of them walked towards the house. 

"Sebastian, I am so sorry... we have a little problem here and I need five minutes... Come on in and make yourself at home..." He looked at Jack who mouthed "Ten minutes" and smiled at him. Nodding, he followed them into the house, where they scoured over a tablet and discussed whether or not Jack could 'fix it'. Finally, they agreed on what needed to be done and Jack asked her to sign off on some paperwork. 

"I thought we were going to do this in the morning?" she gave Sebastian an apologetic look.

"Yes, we were," Jack smiled at her... "but then I remembered that your idea of 'first thing in the morning' and MY idea of 'first thing in the morning' are two very different creatures. And I really need to have this FIRST THING in the morning." 

Jennifer giggled and signed her name to several purchase orders but as Jack told her he was going to head over to the shop and get started, her tone changed. 

"Jaaaack..." she sounded so sorry for him, "You already put in a full day. Are you sure?"

He laughed and said "Yeah, like I've never pulled an all–nighter before! You go on and have a nice time. You'll owe me." He gave her a hug, shook Sebastian's hand again and left the pair of them standing there.

"Wow!" Sebastian spoke up, "I never thought about how crazy this kind of work could be."

"Ohhhh... well, I wish I could tell you it's not like this all the time, but it pretty much is." Jennifer grabbed her purse, and Sebastian joined her by the door. She looked around and said, "I feel like I'm forgetting something." He turned to her and she said, "Oh yeah..., " as she put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer, kissing him on the mouth, sweetly at first, then a little more than that. Sebastian was so surprised, he almost froze, but her lips were so inviting he warmed up to the kiss in no time. When she pulled away, he had the funniest look on his face that Jennifer fought to keep from laughing. "Icebreaker," she told him matter of factly, "get that first kiss out of the way and the rest of the night is a lot less stressful, right?"

Sebastian gave her a million dollar smile and taking her hand he said, "Let's get this started." Jennifer laughed and they set out for what they both hoped would be a enjoyable first date.

 

Once they were settled in the car, Sebastian turned to her and asked, "So...what should I call you? I mean, you seem to have a few names. Is there any one in particular that you prefer? Jennifer, Jenny? Jen? J.J.?"

He had put his arm on the back of her seat and was softly touching her hair and neck. Jennifer was trying to focus on what he was saying, while wondering if he was even aware that he was doing it. ...Oh hell yes!! She decided that he knew exactly what he was doing. Shrugging she answered him, "Well, you can call me whatever you want. I answer to most anything. Except 'Hey You!'... I draw the line there."

Sebastian nodded and remembering her text, he said "Okay, Jen, where are we going?"

Jennifer studied him for a moment, taking in his tight ass blue jeans and snug black under- armor t-shirt showing from beneath his unbuttoned red plaid shirt....

"I think this feels like a 'Granger's' kind of night. It's a little off the beaten path, but they have amazing burgers, and shakes to die for."

Smiling, he replied, "mmmmm.... Sounds perfect". Jennifer gave him directions and they set off. They drove several miles making small talk and getting comfortable being together outside of the planetarium. For his part, Sebastian didn't know quite what to think of Jennifer. He had found that most people he met were actually pretty easy to read. Not this woman. She was such a combination of thoughtful, yet outgoing; soft spoken, but direct; playful, but he could see that she was serious about her responsibilities.... And that kiss... that had taken him totally by surprise and, frankly, he couldn't stop thinking about doing it again.

They came to a four way stop sign and Jen leaned towards the radio to switch channels. Sebastian grabbed her hand in mid-air saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa there! What do you think you're doing? I like this station."

She looked at him in amusement. "Yes, this is a good station. But I know a better one."

Still holding her hand, Sebastian shook his head and told her, "I'm sorry, but there are rules young lady, and you just broke rule number one... the driver gets to set the radio. Period."

"But I didn't think..."

"No, no. NO. Ignorance is no excuse. You broke the rule, you have to pay the price."

"But..." Jennifer was trying not to laugh.

Seb pulled her closer. "The only question is, do you want to pay now? Or later?"

Not quite sure where this little game was going, Jennifer shrugged her shoulders saying "uhh... now, I guess."

Putting his hand gently on the side of her face, he answered, "Good," then leaned closer to kiss her; tentative at first, gentle, inquisitive; then bolder and demanding. Jennifer felt herself falling under his undeniable spell. His lips were warm and full and firm and when he kissed you, you knew you were being kissed. She moved as close to him as she could with the console between them and snaked her arms around his neck, kissing back with equal fervor. When a car pulled up beside them and a man with kids in the back seated shouted "Get a room!" the spell was broken.

Jennifer leaned back in her seat, breathless and somewhat embarrassed by her own response. She looked at Sebastian, and arching her brows she asked, "Damn! What would the price be if I actually touched the thing?"

With an evil grin he answered, "Well, you can always touch 'the thing' and find out..."

Realizing what she had said and how HE had turned the table, Jennifer turned twelve shades of red and said, "No. No, that's ok. I don't think I'm ready for that!"

They smiled at each other then, their eyes reading between the lines, secret promises being exchanged with no words needed. Soon they reached their destination.

 

Granger's was a popular restaurant on the outskirts of town. Although it was listed in the books as a "family restaurant", they did serve liquor and the patrons were mostly blue collar between 30 and 50 years old, and as a result, there usually weren't too many kids there. It was very casual and often got quite loud, with the background music and friendly banter between the good ol' boys. The parking lot was crowded with cars, a lot of trucks in varying shapes and sizes along with a dozen or so motorcycles. Jennifer hoped that she hadn't put Sebastian in an uncomfortable situation. She honestly hadn't considered his 'New York' upbringing when she suggested the place. When they entered, she walked up to the hostess, who recognized her as a 'regular'. 

"Hi Jennifer! How many?" 

"Hi Sandy.. Just two. And do you have a quiet corner available?"

"Oh man... we've got a houseful tonight, but yeah, if you can wait ten or fifteen minutes, I'll get you a spot." 

"You are an angel! Thank you!"

Looking at Sebastian she said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking how crazy it can be here . Although, it usually isn't like this on a Monday night."

"That's okay! It seems like an interesting place. Food smells great and I'm ready to see what a 'shake to die for' tastes like." Seb had his hand on the small of her back and asked if she wanted something to drink while they waited. 

"None for me, thanks" she answered, shaking her head. "I'll just wait until we are seated. In fact, I think I'll go freshen up, if you'll excuse me?" He nodded and watched as she made her way through the crowded room, stopping now and then to greet a few people along the way. He ordered himself a beer and grabbed a stool that had just opened up to sit and wait for her to get back. After just one swallow of his drink, he was approached by a young girl, couldn't have been more than 10 he guessed, and she shyly asked for his autograph. He smiled and signed her napkin, then asked if she wanted a picture. She didn't have a phone, but her dad who was keeping a close watch, stepped up and took a couple of shots. He obviously wasn't a 'fan' but was thankful that his daughter was so happy about it all. 

Just as Jen arrived back at his side, a waiter called out "Jennifer?" and took them to a small booth in the back of the restaurant. After they were seated, Sebastian studied his menu and could feel Jennifer looking at him. Lifting his eyes without moving his head, he asked, "What?"

Jennifer blushed and laughed, saying "Nothing." 

She started looking at her own menu, but could not help but look over the top of it at Sebastian. It had suddenly dawned on her that she, Jennifer Jo Stark, was sitting in Granger's restaurant with Sebastian Stan.. and that he had kissed her, like he had actually meant it! Her stomach was rolling with nerves and she wasn't sure she would be able to eat. 'Oh my God! What have I gotten myself into?' she wondered. When the waitress came back to take their orders, Jennifer made herself act like it was no big deal, and ordered a 'little' cheeseburger with her usual toppings along with some fries and a chocolate shake.

Sebastian smiled to himself. He liked being with a woman who wasn't afraid to actually EAT real food. He ordered a large burger with the works, onion rings and a chocolate shake. When they were alone again, he noticed the table top juke box and asked what the heck it was. Jennifer explained how it worked and he quickly pulled out all the quarters he had and fed them into the machine, hoping that his selections would play sooner rather than later. Jennifer asked him if hadn't seen those when he was a kid and he reminded her that he had spent his early childhood in Romania and about the lack of access to 'western' privileges there. 

Jennifer was fascinated by how much he had experienced in his life and peppered him with questions about the lack of freedoms and the unrest among the people who lived there, as well as questions about what the housing, transportation, shopping, all the essentials were like. Again, Sebastian was impressed with her interest in and willingness to discuss things that had nothing to do with her. That was becoming more and more a rarity in the people that he dealt with on a regular basis.

When their food arrived, he thought the waitress had brought the wrong order... it looked like twice the amount of food that they had asked for. Jennifer laughed, "I probably should have warned you, you get your money's worth when you eat here. If you go home hungry, it's YOUR fault." 

Sebastian dove into his burger and the look of utter satisfaction on his face made Jennifer smile brightly at him. "Do you like it??" 

"Oh my god!! This is the best burger I have ever tasted!" 

Jennifer nodded at him and said "I know, right?" Sebastian reached for his shake and Jen grabbed his hand. 

"Wait, first take a drink of water... then try this..." she swallowed a big gulp of her own water then grabbed one of her French fries and dipped it in her chocolate shake, and offered it to him. "What??' He looked at her like she was crazy. "Just try it, please. It is yummy, I promise." 

Sebastian opened his mouth and Jennifer stuck the fry in for him to taste her strange concoction. Again, a look of amazement spread across his face. He started to pick up one of his onion rings but Jennifer laughed and stopped him. "No... that doesn't go over nearly as well. But help yourself to more fries." They proceeded to munch away happily on their meals and were about half way through when a tall, thin man, who had been at the center of a very large crowd across the room from them, walked up to their table and spoke loudly, "Jennifer Jo Stark!!" 

She looked up from her burger and grinned, "Norman 'please don't call me Daryl' Reedus! How in the world are you?" 

He reached over, grabbed one of her fries, dipped it in her shake, and plopped it in his mouth.

"I'm good!! Damn good!" He looked at Sebastian and reached out to shake his hand, "Hey man! Norman Reedus, nice to meet you." Seb recognized the star of The Walking Dead, and took his hand in a firm shake. "Sebastian Stan. Good to meet you." Norman squeezed in beside Jennifer, giving her a loud kiss on the cheek and started chatting it up with Sebastian; and after a few minutes he said, "Man, you have come to the right place. Whatever this woman tells you, no matter how weird or completely wrong it sounds, just do it. You won't be sorry." Sebastian got the strangest expression on his face and looked at Jennifer with a question in his eyes. Seeing his confused look, she laughed and said, "Sebastian!! He's talking about design and décor. Not what it seems YOU appear to be thinking about!!" 

Norman threw his head back and laughed, "Oh man, I'm sorry. Jennifer helped Greg and I refurbish, refresh and totally pimp out our restaurant in Senoia....I just assumed that you were talking business." Sebastian's face visibly relaxed and he managed a laugh as well, shaking his head. Norman looked at the two of them and said, "You two are... ohhhh!!? I really am sorry! Look, Jennifer, I've got a project I am thinking of taking on and would like to get your input. Call me next week, ok?" She nodded as he dipped a few more of her fries, said his farewells and left them on their own.

As soon as they were alone, Jennifer gave Sebastian a sideways smirk that made him laugh and apologize. "I really wasn't thinking anything horrible... I promise. I just.."

"Stop.. Stop right there before you dig yourself into an even deeper hole," she warned him playfully. Just then the waitress stopped by to see if they needed anything else. Sebastian asked for another order of fries and another chocolate shake. "So you liked that did ya?" Jen asked him sweetly. "I uh.. yes, very much. And I also noticed that you didn't get more than a couple of those fries for yourself. So, we can split this order, ok?" She grinned at him, nodding her head. "You trying to butter me up with chocolate Mr. Stan?" Tilting his head and making an adorable face he admitted, "Yes. Is it working?" 

He caught her gaze and held it... those sparks from earlier started flickering again and Jennifer looked down to try to break that intense connection, then back at him admitting softly, "It could be." 

Finally, one of the songs Sebastian had chosen started playing and he could not keep from singing along. Pretty soon, Jennifer started singing too, then the waitress that was walking by joined in and before the song was half over, nearly the whole place was singing along.

Triumph was belting out:

"I'm tired of playing foolish games  
I'm tired of all your lies making me insane  
I don't ask for much, the truth will do just fine  
Won't you lay it on the line... Don't waste my time!"

A cheer rose from the crowd when the song was over. Sebastian thought it was pretty dang cool that so many people KNEW the song, much less were willing to sing along. Jennifer smiled at him and asked, "You see why I like to come here?"

They were warmed up now, and after another 30 minutes or so, the house was rocking so hard you couldn't even hear yourself think. Sebastian glanced at his watch and looked at Jennifer with a grimace. He moved from across the table to sit next to her and spoke into her ear, "I do NOT want to leave, but I have a super early call in the morning... and I don't think anybody wants to see me with dark circles under my eyes." Jennifer nodded and said "Oh! I'm good to go anytime, just say the word." He nodded and she took one last drink of water while Seb flagged down the waitress for their bill. She pulled it up and said, "Looks like your bill has been paid already.. and a very nice tip on top of that!" Sebastian looked at Jennifer and she just nodded and mouthed the name "Norman". 

Back in the car and well on their way back to Jennifer's, Sebastian took her hand, raised it to his lips for a gentle kiss, and said, "Thank you". "For what?" she asked him, wondering if he always kissed his date's hand...

Seb wasn't really sure what he wanted to say. "I don't know... for bringing me here and making me feel at home in a place I probably would never have even considered going to on my own. For sharing a little bit of you... does that make sense?" 

Nodding with a soft smile she said, "You're very welcome."

They drove the rest of the way back to Jennifer's speaking little, enjoying the quiet of the night and each other's company. Sebastian never let go of her hand.

 

MUSIC CHOICE: "Lay It On The Line" -- Triumph

 

 


	3. Chapter Three

Two days later, Jack and Jennifer were having a serious discussion with Dirk Bell, owner of the company they worked for. Jack, who had been thinking of little else since Monday night, had finally had his fill of the "mistakes, mishaps, oversights and stupid things" that had been going on since he and Jennifer had been approached about doing that special. Yes, he wanted to do it, thinking it could only be good for their own business when they split from Bell. Jennifer was not as keen on the idea, so they hadn't made any kind of commitment to the network yet. For some reason though, just days after they'd had a visit from a couple of reps from the popular 'Fixer Upper' show that aired regularly on HGTV, strange things had started happening. Supply orders, equipment rentals, city permits, inspection appointments ...you name it, nothing was going right. The paperwork on their projects seemed to somehow, be overlooked, held up, incorrectly entered into the system or some other nonsense. And of course all of this slowed down their production times and made for a LOT of extra work, not to mention the delays that did NOT make the clients happy. It had been just a little over a month since this all started, but it had gotten so bad that he and J.J. had started taking back some of those responsibilities that corporate had turned over to 'associate reps' to supposedly save the design teams time.

"Jack, you aren't seriously suggesting that one of our employees is doing this on purpose?"

Trying very hard to keep his cool, Jack looked at Dirk and asked, "May I speak frankly?" Mr. Bell nodded at him, "Of course." 

"OK.. I know for a fact that Jill Marsh and Steve Gorman were not happy when J.J. and I got that offer from HGTV. They have always had a problem with the two of us, coming in from 'nowhere' as they put it, and getting all the best accounts. I know this because they were overheard discussing us by the receptionist, who happens to be a friend of mine, on several occasions. Anyway, Karen Davis, the A.R. who has been working here for a couple of years now, all of a sudden can't manage to enter a simple order for us? And it seems to happen only on our accounts; nobody else is having a problem. And, she just happens to be Jill Marsh's niece. What's wrong with this picture?"

Jennifer had said very little since their little meeting started. She wasn't feeling well at all; could be sinus issues or maybe she was coming down with a cold. Either way, her head ached, her eyes were itchy and she had a nagging little cough. She didn't like being involved in things like this... it wasn't her nature to pass the buck on to others, but Jack was right... it DID seem like they were being targeted, and they couldn't let it go on. And to top it off... she hadn't heard from Sebastian. Ok, Ok... technically, it had only been a day and half, but he couldn't at least text her? Really? Well, what did she expect? They'd had a nice evening and shared a couple of kisses. So what? He was, after all, a famous movie star, sex symbol, walking photo shoot. And who was she? Jennifer Jo Nobody, from nowhere. What was she thinking? 

"... Jennifer? Are you with us?" Mr. Bell asked her, apparently not for the first time. 

"I'm so sorry Dirk... I'm feeling a bit under the weather and I think the sinus pill I took is making me a total air-head."

The man smiled at her and said, "Those things will do that. I was just wondering if you agree with Jack's assessment of the situation. Do you think that the Marsh/Gorman team has it in for the two of you?"

Jennifer sighed, "I don't want to believe that, but yes... everything seems to point to them, unless Karen has some axe to grind, and I can't imagine what that would be."

"All right. Give me a day or two to look into the matter and I'll get back with you. Believe me when I tell you, that I have absolutely no problems with your productivity. You both always deliver. Just hang in there and we will get this worked out." He shook Jack's hand and gave Jennifer a quick hug, then excused himself to handle another of the dozens of problems he had to handle every day.

 

Jack and Jen looked at each other and rolled their eyes, then shrugged and got to work. When she got back to her office to sort through some papers she needed to take with her to the job site, Jen pulled out her cell phone and turned the volume back up. She noticed there was a message, but it wasn't from Sebastian. She grabbed a pen and some paper and listened to the message. It was someone from the city council, wanting her to meet them at the planetarium to discuss some safety issues that had been brought to their attention. 

"Damn it!!" she didn't have time for this. But what was she supposed to do? Her grandparents had been the crux behind the construction of the planetarium and although technically it was owned by the city, the land it sat on belonged to her family. There had been a Stark involved with the building's operation for over 60 years. Her sister Michelle had been handling the place for the past several years with no problem. Then she got sick and had to get help running things. Planetariums were not nearly as popular these days as they had been in the past, and pretty much their only busy days were Saturday and Sunday, with the occasional school visit during the week. They were barely making enough to keep the lights on and the equipment in good working condition. 

She hit return call and waited to talk to whoever picked up. After several rings and no answer, she gave up and sent a quick text asking them to get back with her. This day just got better and better.

 

Sebastian never ceased to be amazed by how much chaos went on behind the scenes of a movie production. There were so many people involved, every one of them a small piece of a giant puzzle. This was his 5th Marvel movie and his first time as the top bill. He had worked with several of his co-stars before, but this time it was pretty much 'his' movie. No pressure, right? He was doing the majority of his own stunts and had more dialogue than in the other movies combined...it was a lot to carry, but he was ready for that responsibility, even though he always had a nagging fear of disappointing his fans. Ridiculous of course, but that fear kept him frosty and on his toes.

He had put in a full day plus some on Tuesday and then started right back at it early this morning. Knowing that the next few days were going to be exactly as full, he decided to take a moment to text Jennifer:

 

"Hey Gorgeous, 

I hope you don't think I'm awful for not getting in touch sooner.  
I promise it's not because I haven't thought of you, several times...  
Things are just on fire around here and lucky me, I'm right in the middle  
of it all. Not complaining, just sorry that it keeps me so insanely busy. 

I hope things are going a little smoother for you than the last time we spoke,  
but I know you are up to it, no matter what's going on. I don't know yet what  
my weekend looks like, but I would love to see you If we can make it work.

What do you think?

Sebastian

p.s. You have the sweetest lips I have ever tasted. Just sayin'..."

 

Jennifer was trying to swallow down a couple of aspirin when her phone buzzed. Assuming it was someone from the city council texting her back or something equally as tedious, she ignored it. The pain in her head had moved on from an ache, to a steady pounding, and she couldn't deal with the bureaucracy, not just yet. She dropped her phone into her bag, grabbed her papers and headed to the Miller house to see if she could smooth things over with the clients.

 

Jack was already there when she arrived and he was doing a great job of sweet talking Mrs. Miller, convincing her that the cabinets that he had reworked were going to mesh a lot better with the overall design than the ones she had originally selected. Jennifer had to admit that they did look amazing. Jack was the best carpenter she had ever worked with and he could turn the simplest slab of wood into a beautiful piece of art. She spent the rest of the afternoon overlooking the final installations, and satisfied that the crew would have it ready for her to do "her thing" with the finishing touches tomorrow, she left them there and headed out to see if she could find a couple more pieces that had occurred to her as she saw it all coming together in her mind. 

 

Later that night, finished for the day and about to settle in to watch a couple of episodes of Supernatural that she had missed (Jennifer's 'guilty pleasure'), she grabbed her phone to check messages. Seeing a text from Sebastian, she smiled and almost forgot how bad her head still hurt. After reading it and then realizing he had sent it HOURS ago, she felt terrible about ignoring her phone for so long. She started to call him, but immediately fell into a coughing fit and thought better of it. "Okay then," she said to herself, "let's try this."

 

Sebastian,

I understand having a heavy workload, and I certainly have no claim on   
your time. However, I am glad to hear that even though they are keeping  
you busy, (I have been told that keeps one out of trouble) you still found  
a moment to think of me. I am truly touched.

Things are going okay in my little corner. Jack used his silver   
tongue to talk our client into believing that we MEANT to do what we had  
to do to her cabinets, and we should finish that monstrosity tomorrow,  
so all is well! 

If you have some free time this weekend, I will FIND a way to accommodate  
you. (Did that sound desperate?) I look forward to hearing from you.

Jen

p.s. Can you believe I'm blushing? 

 

Sebastian finished reading the text from Jennifer and a broad smile spread across his face. Just his luck that Anthony was sitting across from him, watching. They were taking a short break and having a bite to eat to get them through their late night of shooting. 

"So, Seb, what is it that puts that stupid grin on your face? NOT the sports scores or weather report I'm sure... tell me, what has made you so happy? What's her name again?"

Rolling his eyes and leaning his head back in feigned disgust, Sebastian told him "Mackie, you are a pain in the ass. Your wife is an absolute angel for putting up with your nonsense, you do know that don't you?"

Anthony laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. "Yes, she certainly is. In fact, I ordered her a new halo just the other day. However, you did not answer my question. That is getting to be a habit with you. What's up?"

Sebastian stretched ...his arms and legs, shoulders and back. Every muscle pulled taut then released as he took in a deep relaxing breath, and then looked at his friend with a smirk. "I don't know man... this woman. She is not your atypical 'puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma' ... if you know what I'm saying?"

"Now that, my friend, is a contradictory mouthful if I have ever heard one. So basically you are telling me she is 'different' from anyone you have ever met, but you wouldn't guess it to look at her because she hides her specialness in the guise of sameness? Is that even close?" Anthony was really curious now. "I take it we are talking about that 'very pretty' woman who you had JUST MET and weren't even considering having a relationship with a mere two days ago... Am I right?"

With a sigh Seb answered, "Yes, damn it! You are right."

Anthony nodded saying "I know it hurts you to admit that. But you should be used to it by now."

Sebastian threw an empty water bottle at him and told him to 'shut up' or something to that effect.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best laid plans of mice and men. Romance is in the air, but sometimes things just don't work out the way we plan.

Finally Friday. Jennifer was feeling much better and looking forward to a productive weekend. She had two accounts that she wanted to work on over the weekend, putting her ideas down on "digital paper" so she wouldn't forget what she wanted to do. Jack had gone in and taken the measurements so she could use the correct room dimensions as they were, or she could modify them if she thought it would work better. Jack was always good with knocking down a wall or two. Looking at the clock she was surprised to see that it was almost 6:30 already. Well, she had been working in a fog all week, taking those sinus pills, and she probably owed the boss a couple of hours 'overtime'... not that she got paid for overtime... but it was the principle.

Sebastian had called her the night before and although he didn't rule it out, she didn't think he was going to be around for the weekend. He had also mentioned something about a 3 week media junket for a movie that he had finished earlier in the year that was opening in the near future. Sounded to her like she better get used to not having him around. Good. She was thinking of him way too often. Her brain told her it was ridiculous to think anything could ever happen between them; but her heart... it wouldn't let go. Surely he didn't go around kissing women the way he had kissed her if it didn't mean a little something??? Or maybe he did. What did she really know about him... argghh!! She grabbed her bag, dug out her keys and turning out her office light, she sighed and headed home.

 

Jen had sounded a little down when he spoke with her on the phone the night before. She told him that it was just the medicine she had been taking and he didn't have any reason to not believe her; but he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that it was something more. So, when he got the word that they were going to wrap earlier than expected that night, he decided he was going to pay Miss Jennifer Jo Stark a visit.

Anthony stopped Sebastian as he was on his way out. "My man! How about we grab a couple of cold ones and maybe shoot a little pool?"

"Mackie, you are not going to hustle me again. The first couple dozen times was enough."

Laughing, Anthony protested, "Hey...I am deeply offended that you think I would ever be less than forthright with you! But the offer for those beers is still open. Maybe we can find a Karaoke bar if you don't have other plans. Or maybe you do?"

"Yeah...uh... I do have something else in mind." Sebastian admitted.

"Seb, man... are you going to see her again? Look, I know that a lovely lady can help a man pass the time, but you don't want to give this woman the wrong idea. Unless you are prepared to do what it takes to have an honest to goodness long distance relationship... and I know from experience that is a tough road to hoe."

"Shit Mackie, you really are starting to sound like my mother. I'm not just "passing the time" if I understand correctly what you mean by that. I enjoy her company. I like talking with her. I want to get to know her better. Is that a crime?" Sebastian was getting a little testy.

"No, of course not. Just keep in mind that your lives are not all that compatible, OK? If you really care about this woman, you won't want to lead her on when you know its likely going to end with her being hurt. Am I right? And... oh, never mind. What do I know?" Mackie could see from the look on his friend's face that maybe he was overstepping a boundary.

"Right. I appreciate your concern and I will think about it. But not tonight." Sebastian gave Anthony a quick salute and walked out the door. However, when he got to his car, he actually did take a moment to think about what Mackie had been saying to him. Was he using Jen to pass the time? ( Although they hadn't even moved beyond sharing some undeniably enthusiastic kissing, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, he hoped). Was he willing or able to put in the extra effort necessary to carry on a long distance relationship? Was he even ready to be in another relationship? Those were all very good questions that he didn't know the answers to. All he knew for certain was that with every taste of her, whether it was by text or phone call; in the quiet of the planetarium or in a crowded room filled with nearly drunk rednecks and pounding music, he wanted more. He wanted to feel her lips on his and hear her gentle sigh in his ear. He wanted to see her, tonight.

 

Jennifer was sitting at the dining room table working on her laptop. The windows were wide open and the breeze was filling the sheer curtains; causing them to flutter and billow in ghostly fashion...the last remnants of summer. The day had been unseasonably warm and the evening was staying warmer than usual as well, even as the scent of fallen leaves filled the air with their musty fragrance. When her doorbell rang, she was tempted to ignore it. She wasn't expecting anyone, but figured that whoever it was had probably seen her through the open window as they approached the house. She pulled the door open and was taken aback to find Sebastian Stan leaning there with a cheesy smile on his face. She still could not fathom why he kept coming around, although she was certainly happy that he did. 

"Sebastian? Hi! This is... quite unexpected" her surprise showing clearly on her face. Opening the door wider, she invited him in. 

"Wait," he said as he pulled his hand from behind his back, "these are for you." He held out three long stem roses of the most amazing peach color Jennifer had ever seen.

"Sebastian... these are beautiful! Thank you so much." She took them and held them to her nose. Sebastian thought they weren't nearly as beautiful as she was, even in her comfy black lounge pants and oversized white t-shirt; her hair hanging loose with an errant lock hugging her cheek possessively. He asked "Have you had dinner?" 

"Well, I had some fruit, but I can always eat!" She grinned at him.

Laughing, he grabbed the box that he had placed on the wicker table on the porch. 

"I hope pizza's okay?" he asked. "Its pepperoni and onion... a little birdie told me it's your favorite. AND I brought ice cream..." he smiled broadly as he held up the bag filled with several small containers of various flavors of ice cream.

"Well smell you! ...you thought of everything! Please, come on in." Jen invited him.

"I probably should have called first, but it wouldn't be much of a surprise then, would it? I hope its okay that I'm here?" he sounded just a little unsure.

"Of course it is! I was just working on a project I brought home with me. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes, maybe less. If you don't mind I'll just finish it up and then I'm all yours." Jennifer wished she hadn't phrased it quite like that, but the words were out there and she couldn't take them back. 

Sebastian grinned broadly, "Absolutely. Do whatever you need to. Is it rude if I go ahead and have a slice? My stomach growled all the way here from the pizza place..."

Jennifer looked at him like he was being ridiculous "Go for it... you never need permission to eat anything you want in my house." Oh God!! Did she really say that? "And maybe put that ice cream in the freezer?" she quickly added. 

He nodded and did as he was told, putting the partially melted treat up so it wouldn't be ruined, then grabbed a plate and helped himself to a big slice of pizza. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned back against the island to watch. Jennifer had put the flowers in a vase and placed it on the table as she sat down in front of her laptop and clicked a few buttons. Seb looked on as the living room on the screen was totally transformed, making one doorway much larger, moving furniture, changing wall color, even adding lamps, area rugs and accessories. 

"Wow!" he said as he leaned in closer. "That's pretty cool."

"Yes it is" Jennifer agreed. "It makes my job a lot easier. You have no idea how much it helps to be able to show a client what you are 'seeing' in your mind for their house." She pulled up a kitchen next, clicked the correct buttons again and it was instantly refurbished. She saved her changes and signed off. Taking a piece of pizza, she grabbed a plate and added a second piece to it, then pulled a coke from the ice box. She looked at Sebastian and told him, "I am really sorry. I don't have a speck of coffee in the house. Are you okay with just water? I can make some tea. And of course I always have Coke."

"I'm good. Water is fine," he said between chews of pizza.

"How about we move to the living room?" Jennifer suggested. 

Seb picked up the box of pizza and they moved to the couch. The television was on, with the sound muted. He gave Jen a funny look and asked, "Why no sound? I sometimes turn the t.v. on for background noise... but how does that work with the sound off?"

Jennifer nodded, "Short answer? I'm weird. Longer answer, I can still hear it when the sound is muted. That 'electric' hummmmm.... It's like white noise... ya know?" He looked at her with a half smile/half smirk... she added, "Yeah, like I said, weird."

After a short pause he asked, "How do you hear it in the other room?"

"I just do." She smirked right back at him. So, are you up for some 'Grimm'?" she asked as she pointed to the NETFLIX menu she had pulled up on the screen.

"Grimm? I can't say that I have ever watched it. One of your regulars I take it?"

"Oh, yeah, about that... It's only fair to warn you that if a show or movie has, monsters, aliens, things that go bump in the night or blood, gore and LOTS of action and explosions and terror involved.. I probably watch it. With very few exceptions, I don't really do rom-coms or reality shows. Not my style."

Sebastian raised his brows and nodded, "Good to know. So I shouldn't play something like, "You've Got Mail" and expect you to swoon at my feet?" Jennifer snorted and laughed out loud. "Wow. Interesting choice... but no, in my opinion that movie is not swoon worthy." 

"Ok then, tell me about Grimm." 

Jennifer proceeded by picking an older episode and as it played she pointed out the different characters, explaining their relationships. After a particularly gory scene, Sebastian turned to face her and asked "How about that? Was that 'good for you'?" Jennifer blushed and said, "Well, it does seem to be getting warm in here." He had his arm behind her on the back of the couch and he moved his hand to rest on her shoulder. A new character appeared on screen and he asked, "Who is that?" drawing her attention back to the t.v., Jen replied, "Oh, that's Trubel... she's a Grimm too." 

"Trouble?"

"Yes, that's what they call her."

"hmmm... maybe I should call you Trouble. You did say I could call you whatever I want, right?" 

"Yes, I did. Silly me." Jennifer was detecting a distinct change in Sebastian's attitude.

She cleared her throat and went back to explaining the basic story of Grimm. But that hand. That hand on her shoulder... it kept moving. Drawing circles on her bare skin; creeping up the back of her neck; tickling her ear as it played in her hair. She stopped talking and turned to look at Sebastian, then said, "I... I forgot what I was going to say." He leaned in and kissed her softly on her forehead. "Does that help?" Jen shook her head no. He kissed her cheek then, lingering near her mouth he asked, "How about that?" Her heart was beating a little faster than it probably should have been as Jennifer shook her head again and then Sebastian kissed her lips, a slow, unwavering, delicious kiss that made her legs tremble in the most satisfying way. He pulled away from her, his eyes glinting in the dimly lit room.

"Well?" he asked. She looked at him in confusion. "Do you remember what you were going to say?" Jennifer realized she was holding her breath and tried to relax a little, then admitted softly, "I don't even remember my name..." Laughing, he reminded her, "It's Trouble." "Right, Trubel, that's me," she couldn't resist snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him close for another kiss. And another. And another. 

Sebastian pushed her back into the pile of pillows at the end of the couch; kissing her lips again, then nibbled on her ear, moving to her neck as she wove her fingers into his long hair. God! He felt so good... Jennifer hadn't been with anyone for quite a while and had chosen to forget how amazing it could be. Sebastian's every touch was gentle, but firm; tender yet possessive. She kissed his neck and caught the scent of his cologne. "Damn!" she whispered in his ear, "you smell good!" He chuckled as his hand slipped under her shirt, and as it traveled up her stomach to her breast, his lips followed leaving a trail of goose bumps along the way. He smiled at her and told her "You taste good." Jennifer grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head. He captured her mouth with his and she moaned as her desire rose to meet his. His hands and mouth continued exploring her bare skin until they were both nearly overcome, when he stopped and breathing hard, looked up the stairs and then back at her questioningly. Jennifer nodded and he pulled her up from the couch and walked her to the stairs, kissing her all the way there. 

When they were about half way up the staircase Jennifer stopped and turned to him with a pained look, "This... is embarrassing... but, do you have... protection?" she asked him softly. Seb froze and thought about what she was saying. His previous girlfriend and the ones before her had all been on the pill. He didn't even consider that... "No." he looked at her with dread and asked "You aren't ... you don't? Jennifer bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. "No. I don't." 

"Shiiiiit." Sebastian groaned and began weighing the possibilities. Leaving to get condoms and coming back would be a real mood buster. He said, "I could... you know, at the end I could...." Jennifer was shaking her head no. "Right. Because that's exactly how I want our first time together to end."

"Shit," Sebastian said again, leaning his head back and heaving a shaky sigh. When he looked back at Jennifer, she said "I'm sorry." 

"No... it's on me. I guess I didn't think of everything." He looked down at the bulge in his pants and said, "This probably isn't going away any time soon..." 

Jennifer eyed him and blushing she said "I'm..Sorry, I... I can't help you there." 

He nodded and said, "Well, isn't this awkward? I'll uh... need a minute." As he headed back down the stairs, grabbing his shirt from the floor, 

Jennifer called after him, "That's okay. I'll just be out here crawling between the cracks in the wall. Take all the time you need." 

He gave her a sideways look and nodded as he walked down the hall to the bathroom.

 

Jen darted up the stairs to the master bath off her bedroom. She quickly did her business then looked in the mirror as she washed her hands. She was a mess. She combed her fingers through her hair, and added just a touch of color to her cheeks... she looked like a little lost waif in the t-shirt she wore. It was one of Jack's. He was always leaving his dirty clothes in her trunk at job sites. He would forget about them and she would wash them and eventually get them back to him. But some of them she kept. She headed back downstairs and there was still no sign of Sebastian. "Oh man," she chided herself, "what do I say to him? This is some kind of sign or, or a test...it must be..."

 

About that time Sebastian walked back into the living room and said, "I guess it's back to Grimm, huh?" 

Jennifer smiled and said, "That's okay... we can watch something else. Or just talk or whatever you want." She figured what he really wanted was to get the hell out of there. 

Sebastian looked at her like she had said something crazy, "What? Oh hell no! We can't stop now. I want to see what happens with Nick and Adalind." 

Grinning, she patted the spot next to her on the couch. They watched the next episode and when it was over, since there was only one more left in that season, they agreed it would be the last one for the night. Before it started Sebastian said, "Hey!! Let's have some ice-cream. He stood up and went to the fridge to grab the bag he had put in there earlier, and then opened the wrong drawer, looking for spoons. "Next one to the right," Jennifer called out to him. He grabbed the spoons and joined her on the couch. They flipped the lids off of all the containers both sampling a bite or two of each flavor. Jennifer's favorites were the Mint Chocolate and Chocolate Banana, so Seb gave those to her and he worked on the others. 

They actually enjoyed that final episode of Grimm and mostly just being together, Sebastian holding her close in his arms. Once they got past the 'embarrassment' of the situation, they were able to relax and move on, laughing and teasing each other, trading looks that spoke what they were feeling the rest of the night. When she walked with him to the door, Jennifer asked him when his media trip began. "I'll be here all next week, then I need to go to New York for a couple of days to take care of some stuff and from there I'll be flying all over and everywhere before I get back here to finish filming." 

She looked a little sad; even as she smiled and told him that she hoped he would have a good trip. 

"Wait," Sebastian sounded confused. "I'll see you again before I leave... won't I?" 

"I don't know... do you want to?"

"What? Did I miss something? Of course I do!" he looked at her with a question in his eyes.

Jennifer put her hands on his chest, smoothing out his shirt that didn't need to be smoothed, looking like she was struggling for words. 

"What is it?" Seb asked her gently. 

"I don't know. I still feel like this is some kind of mistake. Like someone else should be standing here in my shoes... does that make sense?'

"No. It doesn't... but sometimes I'm slow. And," he reminded her with his adorable smirk, "You're not wearing shoes. So, what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"I'm waiting for you will tell me this is all a cruel joke and that I'm on some hidden camera for an episode of TMZ or something... I just don't understand why you are spending time with me."

He took her face in his hands and lifted her mouth to his. He kissed her with such tenderness, Jennifer could almost believe it meant something to him. "Seriously? Jen, I'm spending time with you because I want to. Because I think you are a smart, beautiful, funny, sexy, amazing, wonderful woman that I want to have in my life. It's no trick... I really do care about you. I would never lie to you or use you like that. Okay?"

She nodded and said "okay." They kissed one last time, and Sebastian lingered there looking at her with those amazing blue eyes and finally he whispered, "Shit." They both laughed and said goodnight before he walked out to his car. 

 

Foolin' -- Def Leppard 

 


	5. Chapter Five

On his way back to the hotel, Sebastian couldn't help but smile. It had been an interesting evening. He couldn't remember ever being more frustrated and so satisfied, all at the same time. Given the chance, he didn't think he would change a thing. Well, maybe one thing. He couldn't get one tiny little detail out of his mind. It was absolutely ridiculous and he should let it go. There could be a dozen explanations, but the thing that kept running over and over in his mind was that t-shirt. Oh, God yes, it looked good on her! Soft, baggy, comfortable, inviting. It appeared to be, and he knew that it WAS, a man's t-shirt. So what? Right? Maybe she had bought it because she thought it WOULD be comfortable... that could be it. OR maybe, just maybe, someone... some man, had left it at her house. No big deal, right? Sebastian sighed, shaking his head, wondering why it mattered. It really wasn't his business; it had nothing to do with the two of them. EXCEPT... there was that insignia on the sleeve. He had seen that same mark just a few days earlier; an eagle with a hammer clutched in its talons, above a scroll that read "Carpenters – Building America Strong" Carpenters. Yeah...No way around it; he needed to have a talk with Jack.

 

After Sebastian left, Jennifer found herself sitting on her back porch stargazing. Now that was interesting... depending on your perspective, she had spent the past several hours stargazing at Sebastian Stan... and now at the glory of the stars above. How difficult is it to close your eyes on a sky full of stars? Nearly impossible when you live in a rural area like she did, and the lights of the city are just a dim glow in the darkness, it's akin to an ocean of stars glittering above you. Not sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry, Jennifer thought about what had almost happened tonight. She was actually going to have sex with him... would have if not for that one small hitch. Really? How did that happen? She barely knew the man! What must he think of her? He said all the right things, but guess what, he acts for a living! How could she ever trust anything he says? But why shouldn't she? He had never misled her that she was aware of. But, but, but... she could go round and round and get nowhere debating this with herself. Finally, she gave up and went inside and up to bed. She left her window slightly open and listened as the remaining crickets made their 'ree-ree-ree' sound, thinking of Seb's beautiful, perfect smile. As she slept, she dreamed of him, and sighed with contentment.

 

* * * * *

The next day was a total mess. Jennifer had nearly forgotten that she had an appointment with a city councilman at 10:00 that morning. Of course she overslept and arrived for their meeting at 10:15, apologizing profusely. Mr. Carter inspected the entire grounds, and every nook and cranny on the inside, taking his dear sweet time. Jennifer had turned her phone volume off so there would be no interruptions, but she kept peeking at it to see if there was anything from Sebastian. After she was caught the second time, Carter asked if she had somewhere else to be. 

"No.. no. I'm sorry if I seem distracted. It has been a difficult week and I still have some work to take care of this afternoon. Please, continue with what you were saying." She managed to look contrite and he seemed to be satisfied. After 30 more minutes of going over and over his findings and the complaints that the council had received, he gave Jennifer a chance to ask questions and offer any suggestions on how to correct them. The truth of the matter was that the city wanted to tear the dome down and put up a 'quaint' hotel. The amount of tourism in the area had increased as the number of film crews had grown. The council saw the situation as a possible windfall, if only they were allowed to use the land to their liking. 

Jennifer smiled at the man and told him that she would take it under consideration. He was flabbergasted! How could she not jump at the opportunity? Didn't she see what a waste of time and effort and money the planetarium was? As owner of the ground that the hotel would be built on, she would of course get a percentage of the profit. And on and on. 

Finally, Jennifer told him, "I understand exactly what you are telling me. I see your side perfectly. I just don't think that you see mine. This land has been in my family for as long as this town has been here. I know that the only thing that has saved it so far is the grandfather clause, and I will reserve that right for as long as the law allows. My grandparents thought this was the perfect spot to build the planetarium and I happen to agree. I will consider your suggestions, and of course I will make sure the safety improvements are taken care of. However, it is not likely that I will allow a hotel on my property any time soon, so you may as well leave the planetarium as is. I am truly sorry if that does not seem like the wisest choice to you and the council, but it's the one that I feel serves the community best at this time. I hope you can appreciate that."

Mr. Carter was not pleased, but legally, he could not force her to do anything at the moment, so he took his leave after assuring her that he would be following up on the safety recommendations. 

"yadda, yadda, yadda," Jennifer whispered under her breath as the man departed in a bit of a huff.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw that there was a text from Jack.

"Hey doll... late night? I saw you screeching out of your driveway this  
morning and noticed that you were running late for your early meeting.  
I trust you will tell me all about it when I see you tonight. You do   
remember that we are meeting with the HGTV people again? And  
don't you have a consult with the Blackwell's this afternoon? Girl,  
did you ever consider hiring a personal assistant to help keep you in line? 

Catch ya later,

Jack"

 

Oh crap!! She HAD forgotten about the HGTV people. Damn! Just then, her phone rang and startled her, causing her to drop it. It landed face up and kept ringing, so it appeared to be okay. Unfortunately, when she tried to pick it up, she bumped it on the back of the chair and dropped it again. "Damn it!" she said none too quietly as she grabbed it up yet again, not realizing until too late that it had hit the chair just right and connected the call...

"Hello," she sounded flustered.

"Jen?" she hadn't even looked to see who was calling before she answered, but she certainly recognized that voice.

"Sebastian! Hi! Sorry, I just dropped my phone, twice... It's been that kind of day. So, how are you?"

He laughed and she could hear the smile in his voice, "My day seems to be going a little better than yours. I was hoping to make it ALL better by seeing you tonight... are you up for it?"

"Oh Sebastian.. I am so sorry. I am booked all day. In fact, I need to run home and take care of a few things before I meet with some clients in a couple hours. And I totally forgot that Jack and I are meeting with HGTV again tonight. I wish he wasn't so excited about doing this stupid special so I could just say NO!"

"Jen, why are you so set against it? I think you would be awesome. And Jack would have all the ladies swooning. I'm sure the two of you would be a hit. " Sebastian, who had only seen the two of them together for a few minutes, had seen the chemistry immediately and figured everyone else would see it too.

"Oh God!! That's just what he needs... more female adulation!" Jennifer laughed and Sebastian nodded to the phone in his hand. Jennifer added, "If his head gets any bigger he won't be able to fit it in that big ole truck of his! ONE of us has to stay grounded...right?'

Sebastian had to give her one more little push, "Well, I have to admit that I am disappointed that you are tied up, but I do think you should consider their offer. I mean, it's a one shot deal right? If you hate it, you aren't obligated to do any more. Just try it... you might like it!"

Jennifer sighed, "OK... I will try to have an open mind about it. Sebastian...," she paused for so long, he asked, "Yes??"

"I .. umm.. Thank you... For last night. I mean, for being so understanding... and amazing about ... you know..." she didn't know why she had brought it up, but he just laughed and said, "I should be thanking you. Don't worry about it. It was just one of those things... And if it's the worst thing that ever happens to us, I think we're golden."

"Yes. Just one of those things," Jennifer was blushing again just thinking about it. "Okay then, I really need to run. Hey listen, you be careful out there doing all those super-hero things you do... and call me later if you feel like it, k?"

"I'll do that. Good luck with all your meetings."

"Thank you." She didn't want to, but she told him one last good bye and hung up.

 

Later that day, Sebastian had finished re-shooting a difficult action sequence from the day before that the director decided he was not happy with. The man tried several times to convince him that using a stunt double would be perfectly acceptable, but Seb didn't see it that way. He insisted on doing most of his stunts himself, and in the end, everyone agreed it looked amazing. With Jennifer busy and Mackie tied up with his visiting family, he decided to take a drive. It was a scenic route, even as wild and unkempt as it sometimes appeared. There was a subtle beauty even in that.

As he drove, of course his thoughts turned to Jennifer. She appeared to be so carefree and unflappable on the outside, and oddly unimpressed with his celebrity, which he found quite refreshing. But he sensed that there was something going on behind those teasing eyes of hers. He could not read her at all. He had the feeling that she jumped head first into a lot of situations, and then had to back-pedal her way out of them...and she was good at it. Nagging little warning bells were going off in his head, but of course, he ignored them. She had that whole modern version of 'southern charm' thing down so well, he could not resist her... didn't even want to try. 

Sebastian drove so far that he wasn't sure where the heck he was. Spotting a diner, he decided to go in for a bite to eat and a few directions to get him on the track back to the hotel. There was a large group of tourists inside. He hadn't noticed the bus parked across the street until about 30 seconds too late. Several of them recognized him immediately and since he didn't have anything urgent waiting on him, he spent a great deal of time taking pictures, signing autographs, and being an all around amazing person. Finally, the crowd thinned out and he was able to get a pretty decent meal and directions from the waitress... who also wrote her phone number on the receipt for his meal. He saluted her, saying "Thank you!" and left, with a smile on his face.

 

Jennifer's client meeting went very well. The Blackwells were a younger couple, who had purchased their first home, a total mess, but one that Jen felt sure she could turn into something amazing with help from Jack and his team of carpenters. She had shared her ideas with them and they could not have been more excited. They were going to be a fun couple to work with and she was looking forward to getting started. 

Stopping to grab one of her favorite 'small salads to go' from the local market, she noticed a few of those rag magazines on the rack by the check-out. Sebastian's face was plastered all over them... as they proclaimed the sad story of his break-up with long-time love... blah, blah, blah. Jennifer snorted and tried not to pick one up, but of course she couldn't resist. She told herself, she just wanted to look at the pictures, and there were lots of them, but she did manage to read a few lines of the article while she flipped through the pages. It seemed that the whole thing was Sebastian's fault and his ex had been "completely crushed by her undeserved dismissal by the hunky Romanian action hero". 

"Miss?" the clerk asked her for the second time, "Are you going to buy that?"

Jennifer looked up from the pages saying, "Oh... no. I'm sorry. Just the salad please." The boy frowned at her as he rang up her purchase and sent her on her way.

When she got home, she ate, showered and picked out what she wanted to wear to her meeting later. It took her several minutes to find just the right outfit, but once she was satisfied, she went back downstairs and sat at the kitchen table working up a design for the second account she had brought home with her. Time flew by and before she knew it, Jack was pounding at her door. She hollered for him to come on in as she shut her computer down. Once again, she had lost track of time. 

"What the hell J.J.? Why aren't you ready?" he tried to sound angry with her, but he couldn't. She could pretty much do no wrong in his eyes, and she knew it.

"It'll just take me a minute. I'll be right back down," she promised from half way up the stairs.

Jack helped himself to a bottle of Coke from the fridge and when he opened the trash bin to drop the lid in, he noticed a pizza box and all the empty ice cream containers. Hmmm... he knew that Sebastian had been there until early that morning. Seems they'd had themselves a little party. He wondered... no. He wouldn't let himself go there. 

True to her word, only 10 minutes later, Jennifer came bounding down the stairs all smiles and grace (Well, almost. She had nearly tripped off the last stair). She had pulled her hair up off her neck and looked amazing in a mint green top and a black skirt. Jack loved it when she wore her hair up. She looked... so good. Just like always. Her perfume was his weak spot. He thought she smelled like heaven, actual HEAVEN, would smell. But of course he never told her that.

She grabbed her bag and said, "Come ON!! I thought you said we were going to be late!"

"You aren't the boss of me," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, then added "Oh wait. Yes you are. Damn." Jennifer laughed and they headed off to discuss their next big adventure.

 

Sebastian got back to his hotel room and wondered, just how he would spend his down time if he actually DID find a house to purchase in the area? It was NOT like New York, where there was always a dozen things going on, on any given night. He had grown so used to always having SOMETHING TO DO, he felt just a little lost on his own. Of course, he didn't intend to live here full time, and he was still convinced that having a place here, that he could call home and that would actually feel like being home during those long shoots, would be a bonus. He thought of his night out with Jennifer at 'Grangers'. It had been extremely enjoyable. And he knew that Norman Reedus, who had quite a large fan-base of his own AND an apartment in New York as well, certainly had adapted to the 'country life' and dual home situation quite nicely. And of course, there was Jennifer. He thought there was something there. It felt like there was something there, but maybe he just wanted there to be...Was that why he was considering taking the leap? Damn!! He was going to have to really consider all the pros and cons again. It was 10:30, so he decided to give Jennifer a call. Straight to voice mail. Her dinner meeting must be going well then. He hung up and thought about what he wanted to say.

 

Jennifer was struggling to keep herself from yawning. It was the weekend and she usually allowed herself to catch up on much needed sleep then. Her late night with Sebastian and the stress of today's various meetings was getting the best of her and all she wanted was to go home and hit the hay. This meeting had gone smoothly and after only a little cajoling from Jack and the producers, (and taking Sebastian's words into consideration) she had relented and given in to them, agreeing to do the special. Jack was over the moon about it and the others were almost too eager to make arrangements and get started. Her weary mind wanted to tell them all to take a chill pill, but on the outside she appeared to be just as happy about the deal as the rest of them...other than fighting back those yawns of course.

Jack saw her struggle and recognized the look in her eyes, so after not too much longer, he yawned loudly and apologized to the others, explaining how 'rough' his day had been, and that he needed to get home before he turned into a pumpkin. The producers were all sweetness and understanding and agreed it was time to call it a night. Jennifer looked at Jack and smiled her gratitude to him as the meeting broke up with all parties in a good mood. Jack winked at her and kept his arm around her as they walked to the car. As he drove her home, Jennifer actually did doze off and slept most of the way there.

Once they were out of the car, Jack said, "Thank you J.J. I know you still aren't really that excited about all of this, and I appreciate you letting me have my way, just this once."

She looked at him with a smirk and said, "Well, you know. I have to be nice once in a while. And if anybody deserves it, it's you."

They hugged then and Jack's heart pounded hard in his chest. He wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt, but he didn't want to make things uncomfortable between them, especially not now that they were starting their own business AND maybe, just maybe branching out into television if all went well. He told her to get some sleep and to have a good day tomorrow and with a quick peck on her cheek, he jumped in his truck and headed home.

Once inside, Jennifer quickly got ready for bed, and then remembered that her phone had buzzed a couple of times while she was out. A text from Sebastian:

 

"Hey gorgeous!

I tried to call earlier and got no answer. I assume that means  
that you were having such a good time, you couldn't be bothered  
with the likes of me! I really hope that you decided to give it a go...   
I KNOW you would be great and might actually have some fun with  
it. I want to hear all about it, so call me when you can. 

How big is 40 acres? I came across a listing for a home on 40 acres.  
I drove out and found it, or at least the for sale sign, but I have no  
clue how big it really was. I have the feeling you would be able to take  
a quick look and know exactly where the boundaries were. I couldn't   
even SEE the house, is that bad?

I'm guessing that it may be pretty late when you get around to reading  
this, so consider yourself kissed. Desperate...Passionate...Hungry...  
Lingering kisses. Yeah, you get the idea. Sweet dreams ...

Seb

p.s. You really DO taste good... just so you know."

 

Jennifer blushed and giggled, then went to work on an appropriate response. When she finished typing, she read over it to make sure she hadn't written something she would be sorry for, yawned several times, sent her reply and sunk into her pillow. Sleep followed almost instantly.

 

Sebastian was still up, talking to one of his buddies in New York. He was getting the 9-1-1 on all that had been going on in his absence, including several of his friends' reactions to the ridiculous rag mags that Jen had seen in the market earlier that day. They talked for quite a while, until his friend admitted that he needed to get some rest. They hung up and Seb was finally able to check the message that had come in while he had his phone tied up. It was a text from Jen:

 

"Sebastian, 

What can I say? Today was a very long, trying day and in the end,  
the arm twisting was more than I could endure and I agreed to do  
the special. (I can picture the smile on your face right now. Please  
stop.)

I hope that your filming went well and that you managed to keep   
yourself safe and out of trouble, as unlikely as that sounds.  
Where is the property that you looked at? Somehow I can't  
picture you on a 40 acre farm, but I do think you would look adorable  
in a pair of coveralls. Something for you to think about.

Per your request, I am, at this very moment, considering myself kissed.  
And... it seems I am not as well versed in those techniques as you are.  
Maybe you can help clarify them for me next time we're together?

Looking forward to some one on one instructions,

Jen

p.s. My tasty goodness is likely a result of all the sugar I drink.  
However, if you want to pretend it is my natural flavor, I'm good  
with that.

 

Sebastian laughed out loud. He was so tempted to call her, but thought it might be better to wait. She had told him her plans of spending Sunday with her sister, so he knew she wouldn't be home until after dark, but maybe, if he was lucky, she would be agreeable to a late visit. He sure did hope so...


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, even when it's very, very right, it can go very wrong...

Sunday 

Sebastian had spent the day relaxing. He slept in; watched a little television. He caught an hour of HGTV, just out of curiosity; spent a few hours lurking on Weibo and Instagram, even posting a new selfie to get the fangirls revved up. He called Mackie and managed to get a dinner invite out of him, where he enjoyed a good meal and lots of rough housing with Anthony's kids. Taking a break, he joined the adults who were sitting outside enjoying another warm fall evening. He and Anthony played a little poker, made some pretty big claims about who was the most popular actor of the two of them and argued over which of them had the best stunts in the movie they were working on. After a few hours of good natured banter, they grew uncharacteristically quiet until, out of the blue, Mackie asked him, "So Seabass, how's Miss Enigma?

Sebastian paused for several beats, then looked at him slyly, and answered, "She is awesome."

"Awesome!?!, What exactly does that mean?" Anthony questioned him. "You two been playing some sweet music between the sheets?"

"Mackie!" Seb sounded truly affronted, "What the hell? I'm not going to discuss that with you..."

"Oh man, "Anthony smiled from ear to ear, "this is more serious than I had thought. If she wasn't really special, you wouldn't react with such passion! Anything you DO want to share with me? Don't be shy."

Sebastian gave him a sideways glance, took a couple of swallows of his drink and finally answered, "No. I don't think so."

"Well then, can you at least tell me her name?" Anthony was curious.

Smiling again, Sebastian answered, "Jennifer Jo Stark...but I call her 'trouble'."

Mackie nodded... thinking that sounded about right.

 

Jennifer had gotten up early, dressed for church, grabbed some jeans to change into later and headed out to meet up with her sister and her family. It was a very good service and she was so glad that her sister, Michelle, was feeling well enough that she was on stage singing with the Worship Team. Jen had almost forgotten what a beautiful voice she had. Afterwards, they went to Michelle's home and together they prepared a big Sunday dinner. Jennifer didn't particularly like to cook, but their mother had made sure that both of her daughters knew their way around the kitchen.

Once everyone had finished their meal, the two sisters took the time to clear the table, load the dishwasher and put away the leftovers. While they worked, they chatted about this and that and finally, as always, Michelle asked, "So, are you seeing anybody special?" Instead of the grimace that question usually elicited, Jennifer looked away and tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile.

"What's this? Is there someone I haven't heard about? C'mon sis ... tell me everything!" Michelle insisted.

Jennifer gave her sister a brief rundown of how she had met Sebastian at the dome and how they sort of hit it off right away; then how then had gone to dinner and hit it off a little more. She even shared one of the texts that Seb had sent her. She told her pretty much everything, but chose to leave out the awkward parts. Her sister knew her too well...

"So, what are you not telling me?" Michelle asked her point blank.

"What do you mean? That's pretty much it..." Jen could not look her in the eye.

"Jennifer Jo Stark!! Did you sleep with him?!!"

Thankfully, she could answer her sister honestly and said, "NO!! I did not sleep with him. And oh my God!! Why is that the first question you ask? Not something like 'What's he like?, or What color ARE his eyes?, or Is he nice?' No... you ask if I slept with him. Do you honestly think that I sleep with every man that shows me a little attention? Don't you trust that I have at least some small shred of pride? And even if I DID sleep with him, how is it any of your business?" Jennifer was sounding more and more angry and upset with each question. Sisters are often the best of friends, but they can also fight like cats and dogs. The Stark girls were no exception. And it probably didn't help that their mother had always claimed that Jennifer would be the death of her. Michelle was the calm, confident, 'perfect' daughter, while Jennifer had a wild streak that often invited trouble, though usually nothing too serious. Michelle had married right after she graduated from college, while Jennifer had immediately found a job in design and never looked back. Having a 'man in her life' was not the end all for her. She had always believed she would find that special someone who could win her heart, without breaking her spirit. It just hadn't happened...yet.

Michelle sighed and shook her head, "Oh J.J. - I don't know. I'm so sorry. You're absolutely right; it's not my business, not at all. I just worry about you. I don't want you to be alone..." 

Fighting back tears, Jennifer spoke softly, "I'm sorry 'Chelle. I don't know why I snapped at you like that. And you don't need to worry about me. Just take care of yourself and Joe and your babies... That's the most important thing." 

Neither of them mentioned the cancer or the reality that they probably didn't have a lot of time to share. They wiped the tears from their eyes, shared a hug and joined the others in the living room. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent playing board games and watching movies. 'Despicable Me' was one of her nieces' favorites and Jen had watched it with them so many times she could almost recite it word for word. 

It had been a good day, and it was hard for her to say goodbye, but she knew the kids needed to go to bed, and Michelle was looking pretty tired herself. So, she gathered up her stuff, gave hugs all around and headed home... to her empty house. Damn. Why did she have think of it that way? Thanks sis, thanks a lot.

 

Sebastian wanted to see Jennifer. He didn't know how or why she had gotten under his skin so completely, but she had. He tried to find something else to think of, something else to do, but ever since he had returned from his visit with the Mackie's, she was all he could think of. He wondered if she would mind if he just showed up at her place. Did he really want to do that? Would it seem desperate? Would she mind if he WAS desperate? What the hell? What was he freaking out about? He should just call her and ask if she would mind a little company. Would she think he just wanted to see her so they could finish what they started last time? He DID want that of course, but not just for the sake of having sex. As willing as she had seemed, he wasn't exactly sure that's what she wanted. And oh yeah! What was the deal with Jack? He hadn't found an opportunity to talk to him yet. He wanted to know if the man had a thing for Jennifer. He sure looked at her like she hung the moon and the stars but Jennifer seemed completely oblivious to it. Maybe he should just ignore it too? He didn't want to move in on another man's 'territory' so to speak, but damn! Jack had certainly had enough time to make his move if he was going to, right? 

He pulled out his phone...lightly tapped on the side of it a few dozen times, then laid it down. He stared at it for a while... then decided he could use a shower. Thirty minutes later, he grabbed his phone, his keys and was on his way to see Jen.

 

Feeling a little antsy and mischievous and more than just a little out of character, Jennifer made a spur of the moment stop at the convenience store closest to her house. The man behind the counter gave her ten kinds of odd looks as he rang up her purchases, but she smiled sweetly as she added a coke and a small package of strawberry Twizzlers to her loot before paying and wishing him a wonderful night.

When she pulled into her driveway, she sat in the car for a few moments, arguing with herself, with no clear winner at the end of the battle. She walked into her quiet, empty house... and turned the radio on. She pumped up the volume, thankful that she lived in an older area where the houses sat on very large lots and were pretty far apart, especially for those who had been fortunate enough to buy one, two or even three lots back in the days before the neighborhood was developed; so it was doubtful she would disturb anyone at this late hour. She kicked off her shoes, went up to her bedroom, dropped the bag from the store onto her bed, and then started unbuttoning her blouse to change into a nightshirt when there was a tapping at her door. She froze. Okay, it probably was NOT a burglar, rapist or homicidal maniac. She didn't think they made it a habit of knocking. Jack would have knocked a lot louder than that, or just used his key and come on in. She wasn't expecting anyone... but maybe... tap, tap, tap... She hurried down the stairs then reached out, placing her hand on the door knob and took a deep, inexplicably shaky breath. Opening the door rather cautiously, she peeked around it and sucked in a deep breath. There he stood; looking for all the world like some dark angel who'd had his wings clipped because he just couldn't resist all the temptations that fell at his feet. He looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary and was now expecting a treat as his reward. 

They stayed that way, staring at each other through the screen door. Sebastian was feeling slightly unsure, not of himself, but of the situation. He ran his tongue over his lips as he considered Jen's inadvertently seductive appearance and just the tiniest hint of a smile touched the corners of his mouth. His eyes were drawn from her face to her chest as he took in the fullness of her breasts peeking out from her partially open blouse. The tension in the air was palpable, with a life all its own. He noted that she was breathing a little deeper than was normal and the look in her eyes told him she was debating what to do. Neither of them spoke or moved or seemed certain what was next, though it was fairly clear, had anyone been watching, what they wanted to do. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Sebastian pulled the screen open, but did not enter the house. He could see clearer now, could see that Jennifer's skin was a rosy hue. He raised his hand to touch her face and she closed her eyes for a moment. A small tremor coursed through her body and when she opened them, he stepped inside and moving her away from the door, he closed it slowly. Their eyes locked and Jennifer could see what he was feeling; she was feeling it too. Slowly, deliberately, Sebastian moved closer to her, pushing her up against the wall. He was breathing hard now, anticipation growing between them. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her, leaning into her, searching her eyes as if seeking permission, though he knew he didn't need it. He kissed her then, passionate, hungry, desperate kisses. His lips, his warm breath, his strong hands, roamed over her until she wanted to cry out. Jennifer clung to him, breathing in his scent, craving the feel of him, responding to his lips and answering his every touch with her own. He was the first to break the silence, "Jen..." was all he managed get out before she answered, "Yes," and covered his mouth with hers. 

This time they made it all the way up the stairs, made it to Jennifer's bed, where Sebastian finished undressing her as she helped him out of his clothes. They spoke softly, almost as if they feared speaking the words aloud would break the spell. There were lingering kisses, gentle caresses, hands and lips teasing and exploring, making promises that longed to be fulfilled. And then finally, finally, Sebastian wrapped her legs around his waist, Jen pulling him even closer as he entered her with such passion that she gasped with pleasure as she rose to meet him. His eyes were so bright that she could see them twinkling in the dimly lit room. Their bodies moved together in that primal dance that was as old as humanity. They made love, and then held each other whispering sweet words of satisfaction and desire. 

After a little while, as Sebastian held her in his arms, Jennifer started giggling.

"What's funny?" he wanted to know.

Jennifer pointed to the bag that had been knocked on the floor. "Can you reach that? Take a look inside."

Sebastian picked it up and slowly opened it. When he saw the contents he burst out laughing, the sound like music to Jennifer's ears. He dumped the bag onto the bed... a HUGE variety of condoms in all colors and textures and sizes littered the bed. He laughed so hard tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. Jennifer shook her head saying "I just wanted to be prepared next time..." 

He grabbed her and pulled her close, "So, you were planning on a next time, huh?" 

She smiled shyly and touched his face, pushing his hair back, "I was hoping..." He kissed her then and unable to keep their hands off of each other they soon made love again, taking their time, taking pleasure in the moment and each other. Afterwards, they slept, Sebastian holding Jen, his body covering hers like a comfy, warm blanket.

 

The pounding on her front door seemed like a dream. It must be a dream, a nightmare. Who would be making such a racket at this hour? Jennifer looked at her alarm clock. It was 4:20. What the heck? Suddenly she heard the front door open. Jack called out loudly, "J.J.? J.J. wake up! We've got a problem!" Sebastian muttered "What the FUCK?" not quite under his breath as Jen got up and grabbed a robe out of her closet. Suddenly, Jack's voice was right there outside the door in the hallway...

"J.J. I'm sorry, but you need to come with me." 

Sebastian had located his boxers and pulled them on just as Jack peeked around the corner. 

Jack had the decency to look ashamed as he lowered his head and said, "Sorry man. Really, sorry." He looked at Jennifer and told her, "There's a fire. A fire at the dome." 

"What???" Jennifer was wide awake now. "How? How can there be a fire?" 

Jack shrugged and said "I don't know. I just heard it on the news. J.J., it's bad. It's real bad."

"Oh GOD...." She groaned and looked like she might throw up. Sebastian and Jack both reached out to hold her. Jack pulled back saying, "I'll wait downstairs."

 

Sebastian and Jennifer finished dressing in silence. Before they joined Jack downstairs, sensing that she was teetering on the edge of losing her composure, he put his hands on her shoulders and drew her attention to his eyes.

"Jen... what can I do? How can I help you?"

She fought back tears and cleared her throat before asking him "Can you go with me?"

He quickly answered, "Yes. Of course I'm going with you." There was no way he was letting her go by herself, or with anyone else, not today.

 

Gathered downstairs, they all agreed that Jack would go on ahead while Jennifer made a few phone calls. The first to Dirk Bell, explaining that she and Jack would be getting a late start; then a call to the insurance company, even though the building was not technically hers, she wanted to make sure they were contacted immediately and she didn't trust anyone on the city council to move quickly on this; and finally a call to her sister, so she wouldn't hear about the fire from somewhere else. Sebastian called his film director and he called Mackie so he wouldn't freak out when he didn't show up on time. Finally, they were on their way to the planetarium. 

 

Once they arrived, they quickly realized that the fire was much worse than they imagined. Located in a secluded area off the highway, it had taken the fire department quite a while to receive the alarm, and longer to get there. The building was fully engulfed by the time they arrived.

Seb saw Jack's truck and pulled up to park behind him. He watched as Jennifer sat frozen, staring out the window as the flames danced, flickered and consumed the dome from the inside out. He walked around and opened the door for her, then took her hands in his, pulling her from the car. "C'mon Jen... I see Jack talking to a cop over there. Let's see if we can find out what happened here."

Jack saw them and motioned for them to join him. He introduced them to the police officer, who then wanted to talk with Jennifer, since legally they were on her 'property'. While she sat in the patrol car, answering questions and asking several of her own, Sebastian stayed back with Jack, watching the firemen as they tried to save the building. It looked like a losing battle to him. The silence between the two men grew and became more and more uncomfortable. Finally Jack looked at Sebastian with an intense glare in his eyes and said with a hint of warning in his voice, "Don't hurt her."

Sebastian was not expecting that, and he paused before answering, "Jack... I have no intention of hurting her. I've been upfront and honest with her from the day we met. I'm just wondering why you can't seem to do the same." Jack looked at him, his eyes questioning. 

"What do you mean by that?" he wanted to know.

With a deep sigh, Seb replied, "Man, it's obvious that you are in love with her. And it doesn't seem like you have told her that. Have you?"

Jack snorted, shaking his head "No. That ship sailed a long time ago. I was stupid and let her get away. My fault. It was over and done, before it really even got started."

Jennifer was out of the police car and walking towards them as Seb said to Jack, "I think you are making a BIG mistake. And I know one thing for sure, if the tables were turned, I would fight for her." 

Before Jack could answer, Sebastian took a couple of steps towards Jennifer and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead and asking "You ok?" She looked up at him offering a weak smile and said, "Better now." 

 

Jack silently fumed. He wasn't angry at Sebastian or Jennifer, he was angry with himself. He knew that what Seb had said was true. He knew he should fight for her, he wanted to fight for her, but he also felt in his heart that what Jennifer needed from him more than anything, especially right now, was a true friend. Someone she could depend on, any time night or day, no matter what. HE had always been that person and he wasn't sure that she could ever want him in any other way. 

 

There was nothing more any of them could do there, so they parted ways, Jack going to the job site, Sebastian driving Jennifer home. He walked her to the door and explained that he had to get to the set, but made her promise to call him if she needed anything. She told him she was going to change into some clothes that didn't smell like smoke and go in to the office. 

"Jen, are you sure? This whole thing was quite a shock to you, maybe you should take it easy, ya know?"

"You are very sweet Mr. Stan, but I promise you, the best thing for me right now is to stay busy. I'll be fine. I may call you though, just to whisper dirty little nothings in your ear, but that's another story."

"You are an amazing woman Miss Stark and I am very happy that I met you." He paused for a moment then added, "Dirty little nothings you say? ... You have my number, right?" They laughed, and after sharing a tender kiss and went their separate ways.

 

That night, and the nights that followed, Sebastian would show up at her door, bringing flowers, treats, or some other gift. And always, he would spend the night. They grew closer and closer and on Thursday, the night before he was leaving town for a couple of weeks, he said those three little words. He hadn't planned on it, they just slipped out. Not in a moment of passion as often happens, but during a quiet moment while they were curled up together on the couch watching a movie. Jennifer was speechless at first, and then she turned to face him and asked, "What?"

Smiling at her, he repeated "I love you." 

 

VIDEO CHOICE: Sebastian Stan/Smile by Antje Ren... (because I love this video)

  

She had been slipping in and out of wakefulness; not really watching the movie, but simply enjoying the feel of his body next to hers, soaking up his warmth and smiling to herself each time he moved his hand to stroke her hair or gently rub her arm. When he said "I love you," Jennifer froze, a dozen thoughts and emotions flooded her mind, holding her captive for just a moment. Not sure if he had actually said the words, or if she had dreamed it, she sat up and faced him asking, "What?"

Smiling at her, he repeated, "I love you."

Jennifer gently placed her fingers to his lips. "No. Sebastian please don't say that."

He kissed her fingers tenderly and said, "Well, that was not exactly the response I was expecting or hoping for." 

As he looked into her eyes, he could see in them the same thing he felt, making him even more surprised by her words.

"Sebastian, if I believed for one second that what we have here could last, I would be over the moon and I could give you the response you expected and deserve. I do care for you more than I can say, but I was taught, and I firmly believe that when a man tells a woman that he loves her, he is making a promise. A commitment that she is, and will always be, the most important thing in his life. I know that may sound childish or naïve to you, but I happen to believe in happily ever after. And as much as I would love for it to be true for us, I don't think that's what you feel or what you have in mind. And that's OK, I don't expect you to..."

"Jen, stop." Sebastian was again taken by surprise and I little hurt. "Are you saying that you don't think what we have here is real? You think I'm just using you or playing with your feelings and that I CAN'T love you? I thought we got past that already." The pain on his face was real.

"No... that is not what I am saying! I'm trying to be realistic. I don't think I belong in your world, and you may like it here in "Nowhere", Georgia, but I honestly don't think you could be happy here. Not for long. Besides you have so much going on with your career... it has to come first. I understand that. I really do..." she was fighting the tears that wanted to spill, feeling like she was doing a terrible job of explaining and wanting so badly to NOT make him unhappy or angry with her.

"Okay." Sebastian took a deep breath, thinking of what he wanted to say. "Jen, I hear what you are saying. And I don't, I can't..." He was fighting to find the right words. He looked at her and shook his head. "Damn it! Jennifer Jo Stark, you are going to drive me crazy. I think that you already have. Look, I'm leaving very early in the morning and I don't want to go with this, whatever this IS, hanging over our heads. So I'm going to tell you straight out, I love you. At this time and place and moment in our lives, I love you. That's how I feel. But I understand how you feel about throwing that phrase around... I know it doesn't mean much of anything to a lot of people. But it does to me, trust me on that, OK?"

Jennifer didn't want to argue with him, but she didn't think he really understood. At this point, she wasn't sure she even understood. Placing one hand on her arm, he cupped her chin with the other as he spoke softly, "I'm not going to 'take it back'..." he gave her a teasing smile, "but I won't let it hurt my feelings if you don't repeat the words back to me. Besides, I can see your response in your eyes. How does that sound? Will that work for now?" 

He was watching her with those amazing eyes of his and she was helpless to disagree with him. Nodding she asked him, "Are we okay?" 

Sebastian held her close and kissed her then, erasing her fears that he was upset with her, when he whispered, "I think, we are perfect."

 

Three days later on Wednesday afternoon, Jennifer got a text from Sebastian:

 

Hey gorgeous!

I'm sitting at the airport, ready to board my flight to L.A. and I met  
this guy who gave me an idea. I need to talk to my lawyer or  
somebody who understands real estate laws, just to see if it's even  
possible - but I may have come up with a way to get our planetarium  
back.

Stay tuned.

I miss you,  
Seb

p.s. What's your favorite flower? 



Jennifer smiled as she read it, shaking her head. She didn't know how she ever got so lucky to have this man in her life, or how the relationship that she had with Sebastian was going to turn out, but it certainly was an interesting journey. She typed up a reply:

 

Sebastian,

Did no one ever tell you that it's not nice to tease? What is this idea  
of yours? And, uh, what do you mean "OUR" planetarium? Have you  
been drinking? Ha! Ha!

Seriously, you have piqued my interest and I can't wait to hear the   
details! Until then, watch out for ... well pretty much everything while  
you are in L.A. I'll be looking for a post of you with some lucky fan  
on Instagram – You know you want to... 

I miss you too,  
Jen

p.s. Zinnia. Yes, that IS a flower.

 

Jack knew that he may have waited too long. He realized that even if this thing with Sebastian didn't last, there was no guarantee that J.J. could be persuaded that the two of them could be more than friends, and STILL be friends. No guarantee, but he had to try.

 

MUSIC CHOICE: "I'm Falling For You" - - Chester See

 

  

Jennifer had just arrived home after a long day and was staring blankly into the fridge, wondering what she should throw together for dinner. She was reaching for a block of cheese when she heard the tapping at her door. Peeking out the window, she saw Jack's truck, and wondered why he would be at her place and why he hadn't just come on in. She opened the door, ready to give him a hard time when she noticed the look on his face.

"Jack? Are you OK? Did something happen? What's going on?"

"J.J., we need to talk. I know my timing is awful. I know you probably won't want to hear this. And I know that I am being a little selfish and unfair to do this while Sebastian is out of town..."

"Jack, Please.. what are you going on about? What does Sebastian have to do with this?" Jennifer was clueless.

He took her by the hand saying, "We've been friends our whole lives. We always will be. But I have to be honest with you. I've been seeing you in a different light for a while now. I think of you all the time, and not the way one friend thinks of the other. I should have said something sooner, because I have been feeling this way for months. I love you. I'm IN love with you. And before you run off with that... with Sebastian, I thought that you should at least know how I feel."

Jennifer stood frozen in place, not believing what she was hearing. Not knowing what to say.

"J.J. please say something. Tell me that I'm an idiot, tell me to go to hell, or whatever you are feeling. But say something." Jack was freaking out. He could count the number of times he had seen Jennifer speechless on one hand. So what happened next really threw him for a loop.

Jennifer started to raise her arm and he thought she might be getting ready to slap him... But instead, she put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him close to kiss him on the lips. Jack wrapped his arms around her then, returning the kiss as tenderly as he could. He didn't want to do anything to spook her. Pulling back from him, Jennifer looked in his eyes asking, "Jack, what am I doing? What are we doing?"

He smiled at her and whispered, "Something we should have done a long, long time ago"... he pulled her close again, his lips crushing hers, hungry, eager, desperate for her. Jennifer returned his kisses with a matching hunger of her own. She hadn't planned to kiss him... it was Jack for God's sake! But something in his eyes, something about his attitude, something about HIM had overwhelmed her senses and the pent up longing that she hadn't even known was hidden in her heart just waiting, came rushing out. She couldn't get enough of him, the warmth of him, the feel of his strong arms around her, his well muscled back beneath her hands, his lips on hers, teasing a scorching path from her mouth to just behind her ear, down her neck and back to her mouth.

"Jack... Jack wait. I can't... what ... I don't think..." Jennifer was trying to reason with herself, but couldn't put what she was feeling into words that made any kind of sense.

"J.J. I know this must seem like it's coming from out of the blue. I'm sorry for that. And I know that you have been... have become really close to Sebastian. I understand that and I know that I've put you in a difficult situation. I'm just asking you to give 'us' a chance. Please. Give us a chance so we don't regret that we didn't at least try, before it's too late."

Jennifer was almost in tears. "Oh Jack... I'm so mad at you! I don't understand why you didn't tell me all of this before now; because I do. I really DO care about Sebastian. So much that I can't even begin to explain. I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt you. I don't know what to do."

Holding her tight, Jack said softly "I know this won't be easy. I know it may not work out for us. But I also know that you feel what I'm feeling, and I'm going to fight for you Jennifer. Until you tell me to stop, I'm going to fight for you."

 

As soon as his flight landed at LAX, Sebastian pulled out his phone to give Jennifer a call. It was still fairly early in Georgia and he wanted to hear her voice and say good night to her. He was disappointed and a little surprised when she didn't answer. He wondered where she could be that would keep her from answering her phone? Well, nothing he could do about it. He found his driver and followed him to the limo. The next few days were going to be super busy. Hopefully he would be able to get in touch with Jen sooner rather than later. He felt anxious about leaving her so soon after the fire. He was still a little unsure about the whole don't say you love me thing... and he wished he hadn't told Jack that he should fight for her. 

The next day, Sebastian had a photo shoot and several of his fans caught wind of the 'when and where' and lined up outside the building to get a peek at him when he came out, and if they were lucky a photo or autograph. As he exited the building they spotted him immediately and of course he walked over to meet with them; even asking one of the lucky girls to take a second shot of the two of them on HIS camera so he could post it for a special someone. He asked her if she would mind sticking her tongue out and promised he would only send it to his friend. She had no problem with that! Of course, it DID show up on Instagram because several of the other girls there snapped the picture on their phones too...

He had hit a few of the morning talk shows already and had several other shows lined up over the next couple of days here in L.A. Next he was going to Canada, London and back to the East coast for more interviews there. Although he had been working on an MCU film in Georgia, they had permitted him to do this trip to promote a movie he had filmed last year with Universal Studios that was opening in just a couple of weeks. It was already getting a lot of favorable buzz. It was a big budget space adventure with Sebastian playing the intrepid hero to perfection. It had been a blast to make and he was really enjoying being the top billed leading man of the show, even though he never failed to mention his co-stars.

On the limo ride to the next studio, he sent a direct message to Jen that included the picture he had made especially for her. Damn! He missed her so much. And he wondered just what was going on right now in that little town in Georgia that she loved so much. He also wondered if she had ever even been to New York...and he decided that he would take her there one day soon. He wanted, no, he needed her to love it as much as he did. Now what had made him think of that?

His phone beeped and there was a response from Jen, "Punk" was all it said. He busted out laughing and felt better than he had all day.

 

Jack and Jennifer were trying hard to keep the feelings they were exploring from affecting their work. They were on their final job with Bell Design, next they would do the t.v. special and then, finally they would begin working for themselves. It was nerve-wracking and exciting and terrifying and wonderful all at the same time. Jennifer had agreed that she and Jack should explore what they were feeling for each other, but she would not go so far as to say that she would stop seeing Sebastian. Of course, she figured as soon as she told him about Jack, he would be done with her. She wouldn't blame him. She felt like she was betraying him, but every time she looked at Jack or heard his voice or he just walked into the room... she knew. She knew there was a connection between her Jack... something bigger than the both of them. She felt sure was the one she had been waiting for.

 

Jack was being as patient as he could be. He didn't want to pressure J.J. into doing something she wasn't ready for. But in the back of his mind, he kept thinking of her and Sebastian the morning of the fire. There was absolutely no doubt that they had slept together. And he was pretty sure that wasn't the only time. He knew that shouldn't matter. J.J. was a grown woman and could make those choices for herself. He was jealous, plain and simple. He couldn't help it. And Sebastian would be back in town in just a few days. Did he even stand a chance? This lowly carpenter versus a world famous, fan favorite, easy going, sex symbol? Yeah, this was going to be rich. And painful for one of them.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are made, lives are changed. The world keeps on spinning.

Sebastian was beginning to have a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know for sure, what had happened, (his first guess... JACK is what had happened) but he knew there was something way off every time he talked with Jen. She just didn't sound like herself. She said all the right things, but there was a hint of reserve in her voice that had never been there before. And now he could really kick himself in the ass for ever talking to Jack, because it seemed to be coming back on him with a vengeance. Okay... he felt sure that Jack had told Jen how he felt about her, but how did Jen feel about Jack? That part was not really clear; at least it hadn't been to Sebastian.

Hoping that she would be able to meet him at the airport in Atlanta, he was disappointed when she had apologized and told him she had too much to do that day. He believed her, he really did, but it seemed like she was not as anxious to see him as he was to see her. "Fuck," he mumbled under his breath while wanting to scream out in frustration. Instead he smiled and accepted the drink the flight attendant offered him with her phony smile. In a couple of hours he would know; one way or the other, he would know... and he wanted to puke.

 

Jennifer was a nervous wreck. She really WAS tied up all day and could not meet Sebastian at the airport. She had no idea what she was going to say when she did see him. He had to already know that something was going on, but how did she broach the subject? And what was she going to say? 'It's been amazing, but... so long.' No, he deserved so much more than that. And if she was 100% honest with herself, she wasn't truly prepared to give him up. There was a piece of her, deep in her heart that belonged completely to him and it cried out constantly, urging her to not give up on being with Sebastian, as unlikely as it seemed. 

She couldn't concentrate on what she was doing and had very nearly made a big mistake on the project they were working on. Thankfully Jack knew enough about her side of the operation to catch it and she was able to fix the error before anyone else knew about it. Jack. He was being so patient with her. He had opened his heart to her and she had accepted it, but had not truly given him anything in return. They spent several hours a day working together, and now they were starting to focus on the finishing this job and how to go about coming up with the type of things the HGTV execs wanted them to cover in the special, which would start filming only days after they left Bell Construction. As a result, Jack had also gotten into the habit of stopping by her house after hours to discuss the work load and to 'just spend a little time with her'. 

 

Jennifer was crazy about Jack, as ridiculous as the notion had seemed to her for so long. She enjoyed his company, and even though she thought they knew each other better than any two people should, she was finding out that there were quite a few things she didn't know at all. He had taken up photography sometime over the past few years and he was really quite good. He had also taken a few dance classes along the way, and although he didn't stick with it too long, he was pretty impressive at that as well. He wanted her... that was evident in every touch, every kiss they shared, but Jennifer had not slept with him. Not that she wasn't physically attracted to him, far from it... she simply couldn't shake the feeling that she had to talk to Sebastian first. Maybe she was hoping he would say something to convince her that this whole Jack thing was just a passing fling, a small bump in the road, not worth worrying about. 'Oh God!!" she berated herself, wondering what was wrong with her. How could she be so completely enamored with two men at the same time???

 

Jack was just biding his time. What else could he do? He had admitted to J.J. how he felt, and although she seemed to share those feelings, she could not, would not commit to him, in word or deed. Not that he had expected her to fall into bed with him. A small part of him would have been disappointed in her if she had. A very small part of course, but still he appreciated the fact that she was not willing to climb out of Sebastian's bed and immediately crawl into his. He felt the struggle she was going through, the indecision, and her desire to not hurt either one of them. All of that on top of the other stuff that was going on in their professional lives was a lot to carry. He almost felt guilty for putting her in this situation, and he was afraid of what might come of it. In fact, he was worried that all of this might hurt their friendship in the end. It couldn't be helped. He HAD to be honest with her, there was no other way.

 

Sebastian was all settled in, back at his hotel in Atlanta, and decided to give his buddy Anthony a call. Once he did, he was almost sorry that he had. After a few minutes of idle chit-chat, of course Mackie would bring up Miss Enigma (as he still insisted on calling Jen) and the reaction he got from Seb clued him in immediately that things were not quite right.

"Seabass... man, tell me what's going on. Who screwed up, you or her? Talk to me man, because I can tell that it's eating you up."

Sebastian sighed and deciding that maybe he could use a second opinion, he told Anthony a little of the back story and that he'd told Jack that he was making a mistake not fighting for her, and that now, he wished he had just kept his mouth shut. He stressed the fact that he didn't really KNOW anything for certain, but that he was getting crazy vibes when he spoke to Jen on the phone.

"Seb, listen man. I think you did the right thing. From what I understand, those two are going to be working closely together no matter which one of you wins her heart, am I right? So if it's you, you don't want that constant doubt weighing on your mind. Better to get it out in the open and let everyone know exactly where they stand. Not exactly a fun choice, but the right one. Anyway, that's my opinion."

Nodding his head on the other end of the line, Sebastian replied, "yeah... thanks Mackie. I think you may be right. "

"I'm sorry, what? What did you just say?"

"Shit, Mackie, you are a pain in the ass, you know that?" They both laughed and changing the subject they talked for several minutes longer before hanging up.

 

Jennifer's phone was ringing as she pulled into Michelle's driveway. It, her phone, had fallen off the seat when she had made a screeching turn a few blocks back, so when she threw the car into park, she had to rummage around on the floorboard to find it. By the time she grabbed it and sat up so the blood that had rushed to her head could settle down into the rest of her body, she had missed the call. Checking to see who it was, she bit her lip. Sebastian. Ok, this was ridiculous; she couldn't keep hiding from him. She pressed re-dial and waited to hear his voice.

"Jen?" he genuinely sounded surprised.

"Yes... hi!! I had a hard time getting to my phone, sorry about that. So, Hello! Are you back? All settled in? Ready to get back to work tomorrow?" she was probably overdoing the cheerful inquisition, but it was the best she could come up with off the top of her head.

Laughing he answered, "Yes, I am back, I'm all settled in, and I AM ready to get back to work. I know you said you are busy, but I would really love to see you tonight, if that's possible?"

Jennifer was at a loss for words, and she was under attack from her nieces who had run out of the house to meet her. They laughed and giggled and wanted to trade hugs and kisses, so asking Sebastian to hold for a minute, she gave them the attention they were demanding. Her sister joined them in the driveway and noticed that J.J. was on the phone. 

"Girls! Let your Aunt J.J. finish her call!"

"Sebastian? Still there?"

She could hear the smile in his voice as he answered, "Yep. Still here. Sounds like you have a little fan club going there!"

"Yeah.. they do get excited when I show up... I guess you figured out that I'm at my sister's house."

"That's good," he surprised her by saying, "I wonder if it would be ok for me to join you? I really want to tell you about the idea I have for the planetarium and I imagine she would like to be in on it?"

"Well, umm ... let me check. Hold on." After determining that Michelle felt up to more company and that she wouldn't mind hearing what he had to say, Jen told him, "Seb, come on over!" She gave him the address and some simple directions and told him she couldn't wait to see him, which was in fact, quite true.

 

Sebastian was all about risk taking, always had been. It had usually worked out well in his career and pretty well in his personal life, so he had to go for it. He figured that, IF Jen was debating whether she should be with him or Jack, that it might be easier on her to see him in a very comfortable, safe atmosphere, like at her sisters. And he did want to talk to her about his desire to help get a new planetarium that did NOT belong to the city, built and under her control, or at least guardianship. He took a super quick shower, dressed in soft faded jeans and his favorite black under armor t-shirt then grabbed the little bit of paper-work that had he had gathered and, hoping for the best, headed off to meet with Jen.

 

He pulled into the driveway, and smiled broadly when Jen, who had been sitting on the porch with two little girls, came to greet him at the car. As she reached him and smiled up into his eyes, it seemed as if everything and everyone around them froze in time, even the sound of the frogs croaking their warning that winter was coming, the rustling of the wind in the leaves and the giggles of her nieces who watched them from the porch, hung in the air trapped in that instant, holding off just long enough to allow them that moment alone.

"Hi," she said so softly he almost didn't hear it. "Hi," he replied as he reached to take her in his arms. She came willingly, eagerly and he leaned down to kiss her, his heart pounding with joy as she returned his kiss with equal desire. He hadn't lost her, not completely, not yet. He would have stayed there for an eternity, holding her, feeling her warm body pressed to his, sharing the hunger in her lips, loving her, if not for the sounds of giggles and leaves and frogs and all the rest that had found their way into that magical circle that surrounded them.

 

Two adorable little girls and woman who resembled Jen so much they could have been twins approached them, Michelle holding out her hand in greeting, "Hello! I assume you are Sebastian? J.J. seems to have lost her manners for the moment... I'm her sister, Michelle, and these are my girls, Sarah and Amy." Jennifer just shook her head, used to being treated like a child by her sister, and Sebastian returned the greeting, happily accepting the hugs he received from the youngsters, who it seems DID know him, as Bucky Barnes. "Please, come on in the house. My husband isn't here at the moment, but he will be back shortly and I'm sure he will be anxious to hear about your mysterious plan for a new dome!" Sebastian nodded and grinned widely. "I hope so. I don't really know much about real estate deals or construction or any of it, but I DO believe that every child, every PERSON, should have the joy of learning about the stars and planets and the universe and I don't know any better way than a planetarium." 

Michelle looking at J.J. and raising her eyebrows said, "Ohhhh.. I like this one already!!" The next few minutes were a whirlwind of Michelle trying to feed Jen and Sebastian, as they had both arrived after dinner, and which they both gladly accepted, and the girls bombarding Seb with every question under the sun, which he graciously answered as best he could. Finally, Michelle told Amy and Sarah to go to the family room so Sebastian could finish his meal. They whined just a little, but he promised he would stay long enough to have dessert with them a little later.

Soon, Joe did return home and he joined the gathering in the living room. Sebastian thought the man look extremely tired and felt bad for showing up on his day off. He whispered as much to Jen while the man was having a word with his daughters and Jen assured him that Joe was a rock and that knowing that this was important to Michelle, made it important to him.

"Okay," Sebastian began..." I don't really have a lot of details but my plan, and that's a loose term at best, came to me while I talked to a man in New York, a philanthropist of sorts. I told him about the planetarium here burning down and how the city seemed more interested in replacing it with a hotel and he asked if he could help... I wasn't sure what he meant at first so he told me that if we could find a different sight for the planetarium, and then build a new one, he could almost guarantee that it would be a hit. I asked him if he had any idea how expensive it would be to build a modern high tech planetarium and he just smiled at me and assured me that he did, and that he knew how to get the funds to do it. All we need is a place to build it."

"Wait!" Michelle jumped in. "Why can't we just build it where the old one was? We already own that land." 

"I asked that too," Sebastian said, nodding at her. "He thinks that it sounds like the city council will NOT be cooperative at all, and we don't want to have them blocking our every move. He suggested that you and Jennifer, your family, sells the land to the city and use that money to help put the new project together." He could see that Jen did not like the idea of selling the land, so he added, "As Jen knows, I have been looking for property in this area and I found 40 acres, not too very from here. I was going to build a house on it and decide what to do with the rest of it later, but it dawned on me that 40 acres should be more than enough for a small house for me and a brand new planetarium too!" 

A hush fell over the room and then a flurry of voices asking questions left and right. Sebastian answered all of them that he could and explained that his lawyer was looking into a lot of the things they were asking him about, and he promised to keep them informed as soon as he knew the answers. Everyone in the room was excited and happy and laughter filled the air. They celebrated the 'possibilities' ahead of them with strawberry shortcakes loaded with fresh homemade whipped cream.

 

Later, after a few more questions and much thanks and many hugs, Jennifer walked with Sebastian out to his car. She was being very quiet and he took her hand asking, "Jen? Should I have stayed out of this? You don't seem too sure about it." 

"Oh... " she smiled softly at him, "I'm overwhelmed. Sebastian, why are you doing this? This, this is a HUGE endeavor... "

"I'm doing this because I think it's a good thing to do. I think it's a win-win situation. I think this little town deserves to have a new and improved planetarium. I get to be a part of something good, and I get a nice tax write off too!"

Jen laughed at him, "Yeah, there's always that."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, looking up into the crystal clear sky overhead, filled to overflowing with bright, twinkling stars. "This is so amazing," he whispered in her ear. I had almost forgotten how beautiful the night sky could be. It's like you could reach up and grab a handful of stars. It's no wonder you love it here so much." Jennifer sighed and nodded in agreement. 

Taking her by the shoulders, he looked into her eyes and continued, "I'm doing this because I can. And I can, because I love you." She started to say something and Seb stopped her, "Don't. Don't say it. I love you and that's not going to change, no matter what happens. No matter which one of us you choose."

Jennifer started to protest, but he stopped her again. "You are always going to have a special place in my heart. So deal with it." 

"How did you know?" she asked in a small voice.

He looked at her with his adorable smirk, "Really? REALLY? I'm a genius, didn't you know?" Seeing that she was close to tears, Sebastian took her face in his hands and whispered, "It's okay. You have a tough decision to make and I know which one I think is right... but I'll be a grown up about it, whatever you decide. I promise." He kissed her then, and at least for that moment, there was no choice to make.

 

When Sebastian offered to follow her home to make sure she got there safely, Jen laughed and asked "Are you sure I shouldn't be following YOU?" Putting on his best insulted face he declared, "I know my way around these parts pretty well, young lady. You don't have to worry about me... now, which way is the highway?" 

Jennifer pointed in the general direction saying "It's that way, big boy.." then she added, "I'm going to stay a little while, help get the girls to bed and load the dishwasher... just get in the way, at least for a few minutes." Seb nodded and gave her hug, saying "I like your family. They are so warm and genuine. And those little girls, they are going to be heartbreakers...just like their aunt. Thank you for letting me hang out tonight. I really enjoyed it."

"Thank you, for what you are trying to do for us. It means so much to me, to this town...really, thank you." She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Good night Sebastian."

 

He nodded and waved as he got in his car and drove off. Jennifer stood there and watched until he was far out of sight. Michelle came to her and put her arm around her. "He is super nice J.J. and so attractive and funny and amazing... no wonder you are having such a hard time."

Jen looked at her sister asking "What do you mean?"

Michelle squeezed her tight, "Sebastian or Jack, right? That's the battle that's been raging inside you these past few weeks, isn't it?" Jen nodded at her sister, her eyes showing the turmoil she was feeling. Michelle added, "I always thought there was no one in this world more suited for you than Jack Stiles. I mean really, I kept wondering how long it was going to take you to see it. And now, I don't know. Maybe you were waiting for something, someone else to come along. And maybe he has. Poor little sis... I wish I could tell you what to do. But all I can say is follow your heart. Don't do what you think you SHOULD do. Just follow your heart." 

 

When she pulled into her driveway and stepped out of her car, Jennifer turned around to look at Sebastian's car parked by the curb. He was nowhere in sight. She climbed the stairs to the porch and checked the front door. Locked. She opened it and went inside, dropped her purse on the couch and walked to the kitchen to look out the window. She spotted the orange glow of his cigarette as he moved it to his mouth to inhale deeply. Not sure what to expect, she opened the back door and stepped outside. Sebastian didn't move, though she was certain he was looking at her. Taking a deep breath, she made her way across the yard to stand in front of him.

"Sebastian?"

He ground his cigarette out in the damp grass but didn't say anything. He leaned his head back and rolled his shoulders, then reached to take her hand and pull her down next to him on the bench where he sat. Jen wanted to ask him what was wrong, what he was doing there, but she could tell he needed time, so she kept quiet. He had his fingers laced between hers and after a while he raised her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss, and then turned to face her.

"Jen, I hope you don't think I'm doing this planetarium thing for any other reason than the fact that I want to help. I was thinking after I left your sister's that it might seem that way to some people. It may seem like I'm trying to win you over, or to make you feel like you 'owe' me something. I swear to you, that's not what is going on. I just want to make sure you know that." 

She cocked her head slightly saying "Sebastian, I would never think anything like that about you. As far as I can tell, you don't have a deceitful bone in your body. I trust you."

He nodded, and then grew quiet again. Jennifer waited. Clearly he had more on his mind. There was a steady breeze blowing that night and a dampness in the air that held the promise of rain at any moment... Jen was starting to feel the cold. She shivered and Sebastian let go of her hand and put his arm around her, the warmth of his body a welcome comfort. Finally he spoke again...

"I can make this easy for you. If you can look me in the eye, right here and now, and tell me that you don't love me, I'll stop. I won't like it, but I'll do it, because I can't handle the pain this is causing you." She drew in a startled breath that caught in her throat as he added, "Can you? Can you tell me that you don't love me?"

Jennifer stood up, tempted to run away. She didn't want to talk about this, not right now, not on Sebastian's first night back. Feeling like she'd been punched in the gut right after the rug was pulled out from under her, she looked at him, her pain showing clearly in her eyes. Fighting hard for some semblance of composure, she swallowed hard, trying to find the answer he wanted to hear.

"No. Sebastian you know I can't say that." She said softly as she looked at the ground.

"But, you can't say it to him either, right?" he didn't mean to sound harsh, but he thought it may have come out that way. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that."

"Don't. You don't have any reason to apologize. You have every reason to be upset with me. I just ... I just don't know how I'm supposed to fix this. That's what I do, ya know? I fix stuff, I make it better. But right now, when it matters the most, I'm at a loss. I feel like no matter what I do, it won't be right. It can't be right because it will hurt someone I love," she laid her head on his shoulder as he stood and put his arms around her. He didn't say anything and for a few minutes, he held her close and slowly, gently started swaying their bodies back and forth. Somehow, that tiny motion worked like a magic potion. She felt herself relaxing, felt the stress easing up and backing off, felt like maybe there was some hope... She felt like she was in a dream, a wonderful fairytale dream. And still, her heart ached.

"Sebastian?"

"hmmm?" he didn't want the moment to end.

"Can we go inside? I'm cold!"

"Sure, let's get you inside," he took her by the hand.

"Will you stay with me for a while? Please? I was hoping, that maybe... we could put on some music and share a dance or two?" she looked at him and he saw the sadness in her eyes.

He studied her face and asked, "Are you sure you want to invite me in? You may never get rid of me..." He wanted to dance with her; he had always found that dancing with a woman could be a very personal, sensual experience. 

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to dance in your arms just this ... But if you don't want to, I understand."

"Are you kidding me? I'll race you to the door!" he took off then, leaving Jennifer to catch up, laughing all the way.

Once they were inside, Jennifer excused herself and ran upstairs to freshen up and when she came back down, she had let her hair down, kicked her shoes off and put on a pair of thick fuzzy socks. Sebastian turned on the radio and tuned it in to what he hoped was a station that would play something they could slow dance to. Jen smiled and moved to stand close to him and the first song that played was "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton ... perfect. He took her in his arms and as they began to move to the music, he breathed in her perfume, thinking he had never smelled anything so intoxicating, so inviting. Jen would look up at him now and then and he could feel his heart melting. How did she do that? And Oh God... the way she had molded herself to his body in a way that set his blood on fire. He didn't know if she was TRYING to seduce him, but she could stop any time now. He was in fact, SEDUCED. Furthermore, it had not escaped him that she had said she loved him, without saying it directly to him.

If only this feeling could last forever. The sense that it was just the two of them and that no one else mattered. He wanted to believe that, more than anything, but there was something in the air. He couldn't put a finger on it, couldn't put it into words, but there was something, something making him feel... nostalgic. How he hated that word and what it represented! She felt it too. He could tell by the way she clung to him... like she was afraid if she let him go, it would be for the last time.

 

"All of Me" by John Legend was playing now and they both felt like he was singing directly to them. Their bodies moved as one, in such perfect rhythm, it seemed that they had shared a million dances instead of just a few.

 

Jennifer was lost in the moment. Sebastian. Sebastian was... he was amazing. He was so good hearted, loving, strong, funny, talented, charming, sweet, silly, sexy as hell and beautiful in every way. How could she resist him? How could she give this up? How could she not take the chance? He was perfect. Perfect... and yet, her heart, her heart kept aching for something... something more. She believed him when he said he loved her. She believed that he did, for now. But she couldn't, wouldn't take the chance that this was just a passing thing for him. If he broke her heart, it would be broken forever, she felt sure of that. If he couldn't commit to at least trying to stay together, trying to make it last a lifetime, it was all for nothing. She knew how crazy that sounded, even to her at times... but that was it for her. It had to be all or nothing. 

 

"Jen?" He nudged her softly, "Where are you?" 

She looked wistfully into his eyes and said, "Heaven." 

Sebastian smiled at that and kissing her, he picked her up and carried her to the stairs where he sat her down, gazing at her with passion filled eyes. He started to say something, to make sure this what she wanted, and she shushed him with her lips whispering, "Not now, not now. Just show me how much you love me..." He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, bending over her he asked playfully, "Do you have any of those condoms left?" Jennifer giggled and said, "All of them!" Sebastian flashed an evil grin saying "Good," and then he chased her up the stairs into her bedroom.

He backed her up to the bed and laid her down, pinning her arms above her head and growling in her ear as he began to devour her with hungry kisses. Letting her arms go to run his hands over her body and up her shirt, Sebastian nibbled on Jen's neck and shoulder. She shuddered under the onslaught of his passion and with arms wrapped around his neck she pulled his face near, then with a flick of her tongue licked that oh so sensitive spot just under his ear. He groaned in response and then she put her hands on the sides of his face looking into the ocean blue of his eyes and whispered, "Sebastian, I love you." From there, it was sweet ecstasy as they traded kiss for kiss, touch for touch sensation for sensation. Moving together, sharing the heat of desire in the sweetness of almost desperate lovemaking, they exchanged pleasure for pleasure, need for need, and longing for longing, time and again until they were both spent and they had to stop and rest in each other's arms.

 

Sebastian held Jennifer tenderly as she slept, her bare leg thrown over his, her head on his shoulder. He wanted to wake her, to talk to her, to see her smile. But he knew. Somehow, he knew this was their goodbye. As surely as the sun would rise, he knew that she had made her choice, and it wasn't him. He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't be. He had promised her he would be a grown up about it, but he wanted to cry, or hit something, or run away. Shit... sometimes life just wasn't fair. He knew that, but it didn't help ease the pain in his chest. Jen mumbled and rolled over in her sleep. Seb adjusted the blanket to cover her bare skin and moved closer to her to wrap his body around hers. He wasn't ready to let go, not yet. Not yet.

 

MUSIC CHOICE: Wonderful Tonight - - Eric Clapton

  

After a few weeks, on a slightly overcast Saturday afternoon, Jennifer called Jack. They were almost finished filming their tv special, and Jennifer had to admit that it had been fun, exciting and very interesting to see how it all came together. Jack was enjoying the entire experience and was also enjoying the fact that Jennifer seemed to have dialed back her relationship with Sebastian. She hadn't said anything negative about him or shared anything that may or may not have happened between them, but it was obvious that things were very different. 

"Hey doll!! What's up?"

"Hey Jackson... you have any plans for this evening?"

"Nope... Why, do you need help with something?" he offered out of habit.

"Well, in a way. I have a couple of steaks in the freezer that are going to turn into ice cubes if they don't get used soon. I thought, if you would like to come over and fire up the grill, I could make a salad and mash some potatoes and we could have a nice sit down meal instead of our usual ones on the run."

Jack was nodding his head and even though she couldn't see him, she could hear the smile in his voice, "Of course! You know it's hard for me to resist a good steak. And if you throw in some of that fluffy cranberry stuff you make, I'll be there with bells on."

Jennifer laughed and said, "I'll make the fluff, but please leave your bells at home."

... That was the night that their lifelong friendship turned into a love story and they both knew, it was meant to be that way.


	8. Epilogue 1 and 1a

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes we don't get what we think we want, we get what we need instead. Happy Ending!

Epilogue 1

 

After several months of bureaucratic bull shit, the construction of the new planetarium had begun. Jennifer sent photos to Sebastian on a somewhat regular basis so he could see the progress that was being made. He was always happy to hear from her, to see the photos and to hear about how well things were going for S & S Designs, Inc. He teased her about how much fun she was having with the HGTV gig as well. They had been so well received, and the network had offered them such a good deal, Jack and Jen had agreed to 8 more episodes; and after that, 8 more. What Sebastian didn't share with her was how often he still thought about her. He had been working very hard, as usual, and didn't have much time to 'date', but when he did, his heart really wasn't in it. He had a feeling it would be a while before he found someone who could fill the hole that Jennifer Jo Stark had left there.

 

********************************************************* 

 

Epilogue 1a

 

Time, as is often its nature, flew by. Sebastian continued to be a hot ticket for movies of all genres and had received several People's Choice awards and an Oscar nod for best supporting actor. He had a new girlfriend, and although he suspected she was not the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, she did have a charming down to earth way about her that he found a great deal of comfort in. He had seen in People magazine pictures of Jack and J.J.'s wedding and an article about their very successful business dealings. He was happy for them, he really was. Maybe a little jealous, but truly happy for Jen. He and Jen had seen each other several times over the past nearly two years, but never without Jack. Sebastian was currently in Georgia, filming his 11th Marvel movie, having signed up for 3 more after his first nine movie contract had expired. While watching the local news one evening, there was a brief mention of the planetarium and the resurgence of interest in all things dealing with stars and planets and space travel. He decided he was going to pay the new 'dome' a visit. 

The next morning, he pulled into the parking lot and was happy to see it was more than half full, even as early as it was and in the middle of the week. He thought that was a very good sign. His heart jumped when he saw a familiar car, complete with a pair of slender tan legs attached to a body reaching for something in the back seat. When she stood up, he saw it was Jennifer. And in her arms was an adorable little girl with curly blonde hair and rosy cheeks. When she saw him, Jennifer smiled brightly.

He walked over to meet them and was immediately greeted by Alana Michelle Stiles. She was jibber jabbering all over the place and Sebastian teased, "She obviously takes after Jack." Jennifer laughed and said, "I know, right?" They hugged then and the baby looked at him like she thought she should know him. Jennifer smiled at her daughter and said, "Lana, this is Sebastian, can you say hello to him?" With a grin Alana said, "Ha Se-ba-ba"... and Sebastian's heart melted. 

"Oh my God, Jen!! She is beautiful and perfect and... can I have her?" They both laughed and Alana giggled and gurgled and it was a perfect moment. 

"Are you here to check out the dome? We missed you at the 1 year anniversary, which by the way was amazing, because you know, the Guardians of the Galaxy showed up. The kids were quite impressed!"

"I know," Sebastian looked guilty. "I really wanted to, but I had other commitments. I'm really sorry..."

Jen poked him in the arm, "Don't be silly! I'm just giving you a hard time. There is a showing about to start. Lana loves to watch it. She has seen it more than a half a dozen times already and always wants more." 

Sebastian smiled and said, "Really? May I join you?" Alana chose that moment to reach for him and he took her in his arms with a wide grin on his face. Chubby little fingers grabbed his chin and chuckled at the feel of his furry face. He looked at Jen and asked, "Really... how much for one afternoon? I'll take good care of her I promise?" Jennifer just nodded her head, not the least bit surprised that Alana had won yet another heart.

Once they were settled into their seats, the baby choosing to sit with Seb, the memories came rushing back. Only instead of the regret he thought he would feel, Sebastian was overcome with a sense of happiness. As they watched the universe explode into life, he realized that their story, the story of Sebastian and Jen, had been written in the stars after all, it just wasn't the story he thought it would be. But still, it was a very, very good story.

 

MUSIC CHOICE: Adagio in D Minor - - John Murphy  


End file.
